Adelasia Cocco (born 1885, died 1983) was a 20th-century Sardinian medical doctor. Born in

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

, Cocco became one of the first female medical doctors in Italy.

Biography

Adelasia Cocco was born in

Sassari Sassari (, ; sdc, Sàssari ; sc, Tàtari, ) is an Italian city and the second-largest of Sardinia in terms of population with 127,525 inhabitants, and a Functional Urban Area of about 260,000 inhabitants. One of the oldest cities on the island, ...

on the island of

. Her father, Salvatore Cocco, was an intellectual who often collaborated with local newspapers. Interested in medicine from a young age, Adelasia chose to pursue a career in the medical field despite the stigma surrounding women in the field. In 1907, Cocco enrolled in the

University of Pisa The University of Pisa ( it, Università di Pisa, UniPi), officially founded in 1343, is one of the oldest universities in Europe. History The Origins The University of Pisa was officially founded in 1343, although various scholars place ...

's prestigious surgical program. She was unable to complete her degree, and instead enrolled in the

University of Sassari The University of Sassari ( it, Università degli Studi di Sassari, UniSS) is a university located in Sassari, Italy. It was founded in 1562 and is organized in 13 departments. The University of Sassari earned first place in the rankings for t ...

. After years of study, she graduated the university in 1913 with a degree in Medicine and Surgery, becoming the second Sardinia woman to do so. Having achieved her degree, Cocco began to seek employment. In 1914 she applied for a position as the doctor of a small settlement of Seuna near the city of

Nuoro Nuoro ( or less correctly ; sc, Nùgoro ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte Ortobene. It is the capital of the province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,347 (2011), ...

. While she initially was turned down, Seuna's officials eventually relented and Cocco was granted the position; in doing so, Cocco became one of the first female doctors in Italy, with some sources naming her as the first. In 1919, she also became the first woman in Sardinia to possess a car license. Following her success in Seuna, Cocco remained in the area and eventually expanded her practice to include the village of Lollove. In, 1928 she was appointed as a Health Officer in Nuoro, and later became the director of a medical institute. Cocco retired in the 1950s, and died in Nuoro in 1983 at the age of 98.

Memorial

A street in Nuoro, near the

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Snows The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Snows ( it, Cattedrale di Santa Maria della Neve) is the main place of Roman Catholic worship in Nuoro, Sardinia, and the cathedral church of the diocese of Nuoro. Built in the mid-nineteenth century, it stands i ...

, between Via Matteotti and Via Antonio Mereu, has been named after Adelasia Cocco.Teresa Spano
Adelasia: un vuoto di memoria
Toponomastica Femminile, 29 September 2012

References

Bibliography

{{Authority control 1885 births 1983 deaths Sardinian women