Anatomical Theatres and the Teaching of Anatomy in Early Modern Spain

Martínez-Vidal, Àlvar; Pardo-Tomás, José

doi:10.1017/s0025727300008875

Cited by 9 publications

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“…The practice of having purpose‐built anatomy theatres started in Padua, spreading to other cities and soon north of the Alps to other academic centres such as Paris and Leiden. At a similar time to Vesalius, an anatomy theatre was constructed in the Spanish city of Saragossa, with public demonstrations taking place under royal warrant (Martínez‐Vidal & Pardo‐Tomás, 2005 ). The construction of spaces specifically for the demonstration of anatomy reflects both the recognition of observation as a prime component of the scientific method as well as the changing attitudes towards human dissection (Figure 6 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of Vesalius and his contemporaries in the transfiguration of human anatomical science

Xiang

Venkatesan

2022

Journal of Anatomy

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The understanding of human anatomy has been an endeavour spanning thousands of years from the Egyptians and Greeks in antiquity to the present day. Scholars and scientists have overcome great barriers to discover the inner workings and complexities of the human body, from personal challenges and prejudices to obstacles placed by society. Our present understanding of anatomy has accumulated over centuries, and progressive generations of physicians have contributed to the ever‐growing evidence‐based knowledge. This article explores the contributions made by Vesalius and his contemporaries in the first half of the sixteenth century. These enlightened scholars advanced anatomical knowledge and, perhaps more importantly, the scientific method, directly impacting the mindset and methodologies of future anatomists. Individuals such as Berengario da Carpi and Gabriele Falloppio produced bodies of work during their lifetime that were not only important in disputing the teachings of Galen of Pergamon, which had been accepted as almost unquestionable truths for a thousand years, but also instrumental in developing a new generation of scientists. The anatomists of the late renaissance were unable to resolve many of the factual inaccuracies of Galenic teaching but provided the groundwork for scientific thinking which future generations of anatomists benefited greatly from. The principles of documenting what is observed and establishing a methodical approach to question discrepancies in experiments would go on to influence physicians such as Harvey and Malpighi to investigate and draw correct conclusions in their research and ultimately advance our understanding of human anatomy to what it is today.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of Vesalius and his contemporaries in the transfiguration of human anatomical science

Xiang

Venkatesan

2022

Journal of Anatomy

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“…Katherine Park (2006: 261) explains that, for literate men and women in western Europe during the 16th century, there was a shift from experiences and descriptions of internal bodily processes as 'thermal and fluid dynamics', involving the 'flow and interplay of vapours and liquids', to ones in which the organs, integrated into the body as a whole, became predominant. While a fascination with human skeletons and fleshy decay was evident in manuscripts, paintings and sculpture of the 14th century (see Camille, 1994), bones crystallized as distinct organs in relation to others within the body through early modern anatomical exploration -explorations which were observed in theatres of anatomy and disseminated through printed texts and images (Carlino, 1999a(Carlino, , 1999bHuisman, 2009;Klestinec, 2004Klestinec, , 2007Martínez-Vidal and Pardo-Tomás, 2005;Sawday 1995).…”

Section: Separations/connectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Articulating bones: an epilogue

Hallam

2010

Journal of Material Culture

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Taking the articulation of bones as its main theme, this epilogue draws together the articles in this issue and discusses theoretical concerns relevant to anthropological analysis of the substance of bones. In particular, it examines bones as relational entities, whose forms and material properties emerge through the interactions which take place with them. With reference to the author's own historical anthropological research on anatomy in Britain, discussed here in a wider European context, the epilogue explores the articulation of bones through metaphors and images, the relations between anatomical skeletons and memento mori and the assemblage of bones in ossuaries. It then discusses the interdependence of bones and embodied practices -the bones of the dead and the bodies of the living both mutually shaping one another -with reference to the articulation or making of skeletons by anatomists whose artisanal work with bones has not only generated knowledge but also entailed forceful emotional dynamics.

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“…Anatomy theatres were later established in London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Saragossa, Leiden, Amsterdam, Delft, Utrecht, Den Haag, Dordrecht, Rotterdam, Middleburg, Enkhuizen, Basel, Uppsala (Sweden) etc. (Yunusoglu, 2008;Yılmaz &Yılmaz, 2015;Martínez-Vidal & Pardo-Tomás, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Anatomical displays. Before the establishment of the permanent anatomical theatres, anatomical studies were carried out in churches and chapels, especially when necessary, such as for diseases (Martínez-Vidal & Pardo-Tomás, 2005). But public dissections of human criminal bodies took place in public at winter times once a year at temporary anatomical theatres (Yılmaz &Yılmaz, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Emergence and Effects of the First Anatomy Theatres in Western Europe

Baylan¹,

Demirci²

2023

Int. J. Morphol.

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The spread of the idea that the human body should be learned from cadavers, especially under the leadership of Vesalius, and the strong support of this idea among surgeons and medical students of that period, led to the emergence of anatomy theatres, particularly in the rich centres of Western Europe. Anatomy theatres have become prestigious places that make contributions to financial income for the cities they are located in. They have contributed to the importance of universities with the students they attract. Anatomy has become a more visual and international science because of the spread of anatomical drawings in scientific medical books, the newly invented printing press making it easier to print more books and the increasing interest of the people of the period. Learning medicine has become easier with the spread of visual anatomy books and cadaver studies. Cadaver studies and anatomy theatres, which started to become widespread under the leadership of brave science warriors such as Vesalius, who lived in the Renaissance period, became the subject of the paintings of painters of the period such as Rembrandt under the name anatomy activities. It is beneficial and necessary for society to keep in memory what this period brought to the world of anatomy and the present with its historical processes.

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Anatomical Theatres and the Teaching of Anatomy in Early Modern Spain

Abstract: We are grateful to Miguel Tomás-Valiente, Paz Jordà-Rodríguez and Caroline Tonson-Rye for the English translation, and to Enrique Perdiguero and Maurizio Rippa Bonati for their comments and suggestions. Of course, any errors that remain are our own.

Cited by 9 publications

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The role of Vesalius and his contemporaries in the transfiguration of human anatomical science

The role of Vesalius and his contemporaries in the transfiguration of human anatomical science

Articulating bones: an epilogue

The Emergence and Effects of the First Anatomy Theatres in Western Europe

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