UNIVERSITY ( PALAZZO BO )
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University with an anatomical theater, the first auditorium of medical sciences in the world, in Padua.
Founded in 1221 by Bolognese scholars, the University of Padua has been a centre of learning for eight centuries. It flourished under the rule of Venice, benefiting from the Serenissima's climate of freedom and religious tolerance. This openness attracted students from all over Europe, from Sweden to Poland, and geniuses such as Copernicus, Dante and Galileo, whose wooden pulpit is still visible.
Among the university's treasures, the Anatomical Theatre, built in 1594, is undoubtedly the most impressive. The world's first dissection auditorium, it defied obscurantism and the Inquisition with its concentric-circle architecture. Designed for nocturnal, out-of-sight sessions, it enabled medicine to progress under exceptional conditions, and remained in use until 1892, providing a space dedicated to the exploration of the human body at a time when such practices were frowned upon by the Church.
This spirit of curiosity and freedom persists today, notably during the graduation ritual in June, when each student, wearing a laurel wreath, is celebrated in a festive setting that is both amusing and solemn. A guided tour of the university takes you through its elegant courtyards, adorned with contemporary works of art, and reveals the secrets of the "anatomical kitchen" and the Anatomical Theatre, fascinating witnesses to centuries of scientific quest and academic freedom.
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La visite guidée est impeccablement faite.