Federico II da Montefeltro and his son Guidobaldo in a painting
The bodies speak, even after centuries and even if poorly preserved, as evidenced, among other things, by the exhumation of Frederick II of Montefeltro (1422-1482), Duke of Urbino , great patron, skilled politician and courageous leader, one of the leading figures of the fifteenth century.
Some time ago the sarcophagi of the man and some family members, including his children Guidobaldo and Federico and daughter-in-law Elisabetta Gonzaga , kept in the Church of San Bernardino, they have been opened to analyze their content; perhaps transferred in the 17th century from their original location in the basement, characterized by a strong and persistent humidity (one of the boxes was impregnated with water), the remains have appeared very deteriorated but, despite this, still able to provide us with important information on personalities in question and, in all likelihood, on many others of equal rank contemporary to them.
A certainty resulting from the analysis of the duke's bones is that he suffered from gout, a metabolic disease in the past quite widespread among the upper social classes ( Henry VIII of England was another illustrious victim), mainly due to the excessive consumption of meat, seafood, sugars and alcohol, foods that the poorest could not afford if not very rarely.
It is now hoped that the comparison between finds and testimonies of different types (for this purpose the correspondence between Frederick II and his doctor is illuminating) and the results deriving from the studies undertaken on several fronts (archaeological, medical, documentary, archival, etc.) , can give precise indications on the habits of the time, mainly dietary, and on the therapeutic approach to gout in the post Middle Ages.
If you want to know the details of Federico da Montefeltro's exhumation, here you will find a very detailed article:http://www.paleopatologia.it/articoli/aticolo.php?recordID=22.