Medieval Wellness: From Beauty to Bloodletting

Available December 2026

Larisa Grollemond

Dispelling myths of a dirty, superstitious Middle Ages, this entertaining volume explores medieval approaches to health and wellness.

Often maligned as an era of darkness and superstition, the Middle Ages in Europe have been stereotyped as lacking standards for basic hygiene, or, at the very least, for having a laughably simplistic approach to self-care and medicine. With wit and expert analysis, medievalist Larisa Grollemond explores everyday practices and beliefs of medieval life. She uncovers a world as nuanced and self-aware as our own while playfully connecting traditions from the Middle Ages to modern wellness culture. 

• Challenges misconceptions of medieval Europe with engaging, evidence-based insights into hygiene and healthcare practices.
• Answers popular questions about daily life, including bathing, cosmetics, contraception, and the realities of medieval medical treatments.
• Features over 130 illustrations of illuminated manuscripts, medieval artifacts, and other art works that bring the past vividly to life.
• Connects medieval wellness practices to contemporary self-care trends, offering surprising parallels and fresh perspective.

If you think the Middle Ages were primitive and unsophisticated, this book will change your mind. With Medieval Wellness, you’ll discover a world of care, curiosity, and complexity that will feel familiar to your own.

Larisa Grollemond is associate curator of manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum and the coauthor of The Book of Marvels (Getty, 2024) and The Fantasy of the Middle Ages (Getty, 2022).

“This book is a delight. With sparkling humor, Larisa Grollemond shows not only how medievals thought and cared deeply about themselves and each other, but also how the very modern search for ‘traditional’ or ‘natural’ healthcare makes everything old seem new again.”
—Matthew Gabriele, professor of medieval studies at Virginia Tech and coauthor of The Bright Ages and Oathbreakers

176 pages
7 x 9 1/4 inches
133 color illustrations
ISBN 979-8-88712-061-4
paperback

Getty Publications
Imprint: J. Paul Getty Museum

2026