Adelasia Cocco

Adelasia Cocco (born 1885, died 1983) was a 20th-century Sardinian medical doctor. Born in Sardinia, Cocco became one of the first female medical doctors in Italy.

Biography Adelasia Cocco was born in Sassari on the island of Sardinia. 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.

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. 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.