title: The martyrdom of St. Zoilus, a urological issue. History and development of the tradition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To highlight, for its urological importance, the martyrdom of St. Zoilus. To elaborate on the tradition of invocation and worship of the saint and to establish their historical bases.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a study of the images of the martyrdom of St. Zoilus, with a detailed review of the history and tradition of the saint and performed a comparative study of the various saints known as patrons of kidney pain and disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found three paintings in different churches and locations depicting the kidney extraction of St. Zoilus. In addition to the three pieces, a preserved chest at the National Archaeological Museum and 2 tapestries in the sacristy of the church of the monastery of St. Zoilus in the Palencian town of Carrion de los Condes provided abundant information on the circumstances in which they were made. By analysing the style, we can deduce its affiliation to a specific artistic milieu and thereby propose a timeframe.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Without meaning to dethrone St. Liborius as the patron saint of urologists, an office claimed earlier by colleagues from various European countries, the martyrdom of St. Zoilus is, in light of the tradition and images provided, an unquestionable urological issue. The tradition is vindicated from a new viewpoint 1,712 years later.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Urología, Hospital Comarcal do Salnés, Villagarcía de Arosa, España. Electronic address: freiredos@gmail.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Freire
mesh_terms: D049669:History, 16th Century; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000266:history*; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D010151:Paintings / Q000266:history*; D018644:Roman World; D018597:Saints / Q000266:history*; D013030:Spain
keywords: Historia de la urología; History of urology; Martirio urológico; San Zoilo; St. Zoilus; Urological martyrdom