A near-magical potion said to cure all diseases was made in Venice under the supervision of the Health Magistrate and was exported throughout Europe and beyond.
In the 1500s, Venice was renowned for the quality of its pharmaceutical products, often made using the same spices imported from the East.
The main ingredient of Theriaca, in addition to opium, was viper venom, believed to rejuvenate the skin.
For this reason, production took place only once a year, during the summer, when vipers were captured.
The preparation had to be done publicly and under the supervision of health authorities, for three consecutive days, outside the authorized pharmacies, by boiling large cauldrons filled with the ingredients.
The public was also drawn to the event by the many live vipers, kept in cages until the moment the medicine was made.
Out of 100 pharmacies in Venice, only 40 were authorized to produce this medicine.
In Campo Santo Stefano, in front of house number 2800, you can still see a stone in the pavement marking the exact spot where the cauldron was placed.
This area is part of the historic Via dello Spezier, the street of apothecaries.
Heading down from the Rialto Bridge toward St. Mark’s, you would find the most famous pharmacy in Venice, called “Alla Testa d’Oro” (The Golden Head).
The Theriaca produced by this apothecary was considered the finest in Venice, and for that reason, it was granted permission to produce it three times a year, instead of once.
Today, a golden head remains mounted high above to mark the spot where the pharmacy once stood — now the location of a clothing store.
On the wall beneath the head, you can still read an inscription referring to the Theriaca of Andromachus.
This pharmacy was the only one that continued to produce Theriaca until the last century.
