The Invisible Virtues of Stones: Healing & Protection with Gems LIVE

The Invisible Virtues of Stones: Healing, Protection, and Flourishing with Gems in the Renaissance with Carlotta Gonzi Please note this is NOT a ZOOM lecture but an in person lecture. Doors open at 6:30pm and talk starts at 7pm Illustration by: Riva Rosa Studio (@rivarosastudio) The Invisible Virtues of Stones: Healing, Protection, and Flourishing with Gems in the Renaissance Carlotta Gonzi, The Warburg Institute. Renaissance collections brought together a dazzling variety of stones, which were highly praised for their so-called ‘virtues’: the powers and properties ascribed to them. In this talk, we venture into the everyday life and practices of the period, exploring a selection of emblematic stones used to support recovery and prevent illness, safeguard against harm, and foster personal growth. The eagle stone, for instance – a hollow geode or concretion – was believed to ease childbirth, protect expectant mothers, and even ward off food poisoning. Through these examples, we enter a world where stones were never just inert objects, but powerful agents of transformation. Carlotta Gonzi is currently completing a PhD at the Warburg Institute in London. Her project, ‘The Sparkle in the Period Eye: Gemstones and their Cultural Connotations in Northern Italian Renaissance Courts’, explores the cultural uses and significance of gemstones in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, focusing on the courts of Ferrara, Mantua, and Milan. Carlotta’s research interests extend across Renaissance material culture and art, alongside the history of magic, medicine and astrology. The Absinthe Parlour at The Last Tuesday Society is London’s best award-winning alternative cocktail bar hidden within The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities. A drinker’s cabinet of wonder filled curious cocktails & extraordinary elixirs —The Last Tuesday Society’s Absinthe Parlour is truly a hidden treasure of East London. Opened by collectors, drinks historians & absinthe experts — Allison Crawbuck (Brooklyn) & Rhys Everett (London) in 2016, the duo bring with them a shared passion for the mysterious world of spirits & the macabre. The venue opens at 18:30. Doors will close at 19:00 to avoid disrupting the speaker. We kindly ask that all guests arrive before 19:00. Refunds are not possible for in person events with less than seven days notice in any circumstances. Please note, the museum of curiosities is not opened on Mondays during our lectures.