MUSEUM

Bo Palace courtyard
Bo Palace (Palazzo del Bo e Teatro Anatomico), Padua

Italy, Padua

Bo Palace (Palazzo del Bo) is the central piece of the Paduan University. Established in 1222, the University of Padua is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Its Medical Faculty has been a leading institution for medical studies for centuries. Perhaps the most famous alumnus of the Medical Faculty is Andreas Vesalius, who is often referred to as the father of modern human anatomy. He studied and later taught at Padua, and his seminal work, "De humani corporis fabrica" (On the Fabric of the Human Body, 1543) was a groundbreaking text in anatomy. The Anatomical Theatre of Padua, built in 1594 during tenure of Girolamo Fabrici d’Acquapendente, is the oldest surviving anatomy theatre in the world. It was here that many important dissections and lectures took place, attracting students from across Europe is the place for 16th-century Anatomy Theatre. Another famous alumni of the University was William Harvey, who discovered blood circulation.

Articles

De humani corporis fabrica libri septem (1555) by Andreas Vesalius, photo by Christie's
A wonderful transformation of the Ugly Duckling

The story of how the second edition of the book De humani corporis fabrica libri septem, by Flemish Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), desecrated by numerous marginal notes, became one of the most outstanding examples of scientific printing that has come down to us has shocked the world of medical history and bibliography. This book, first published in 1543, then revolutionised anatomy and, among of others, commented on about 200 mistakes and misconceptions of the infallible authority, Claudius Galenus, questioning more than a thousand years of anatomical beliefs. It is no wonder that the young genius (Andreas Vesalius was only 29 years old when by publishing his Opus magnum) faced not just significant opposition, but fierce hatred, a real mass shitstorm for questioning established views, rocking the comfortable chairs of professorial chairs.