Orlandini Giovanni E, Paternostro Ferdinando
Department of Anatomy, Histology and Forensic Medicine, University of Florence, Viale Morgagni, 85, 50134 Firenze.
Ital J Anat Embryol. 2010;115(3):167-74.
The 17th century was characterized by a real revolution in the field of scientific research due to the introduction of the experimental method, promoted by Galileo Galilei who was the most representative scientist of this period. Therefore, medical disciplines, particularly Anatomy, underwent innovative and deep changes shattering traditional culture and representing the background for the modern science. In this fermenting period, Tuscany played a significant role since numerous distinguished scientists were gathered by Medici Grand Dukes (especially Ferdinando the 2nd and Cosimo the 3rd) at Pisa University and at their court in Florence. Among them, it must be mentioned Giovanni Alfonso Borelli, creator of iathromechanics, Marcello Malpighi, founder of microscopic Anatomy, Francesco Redi, who denied the insect spontaneous generation, Nils Steensen who continued in Florence his anatomical studies on lymph nodes and salivary glands while setting also the bases of modern geology. Moreover, at the end of the 17th century, the anatomical wax modelling techniques arose and developed in Florence thanks to the work of Gaetano Zumbo (or Zummo), capable of creating some real masterpieces, still very well preserved and collected in the Museum of Natural Sciences "La Specola".
17世纪因实验方法的引入而在科学研究领域发生了一场真正的革命，这一方法由伽利略·伽利雷推广，他是这一时期最具代表性的科学家。因此，医学学科，尤其是解剖学，经历了创新和深刻的变革，打破了传统文化，为现代科学奠定了基础。在这个动荡的时期，托斯卡纳发挥了重要作用，因为美第奇大公（尤其是费迪南多二世和科西莫三世）在比萨大学和他们位于佛罗伦萨的宫廷聚集了众多杰出的科学家。其中，必须提到的有iatromechanics的创造者乔瓦尼·阿方索·博雷利、微观解剖学的创始人马尔切洛·马尔皮基、否定昆虫自然发生说的弗朗切斯科·雷迪、在佛罗伦萨继续进行淋巴结和唾液腺解剖学研究并奠定现代地质学基础的尼尔斯·斯滕森。此外，在17世纪末，得益于盖塔诺·祖姆博（或祖莫）的工作，解剖蜡像制作技术在佛罗伦萨兴起并发展，他能够创作出一些真正的杰作，至今仍保存完好，并收藏在自然科学博物馆“拉·斯佩科拉”中。
