Ophelia at the museum. Venuses and anatomical models in the teaching of obstetrics between the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries

The history of medical education has been deeply affected by the use of wax anatomical models in Italy since the XVIIIth century, when in Bologna’s Archiginnasio and Florence’s Specola two of the most important schools in anatomical ceroplastics were established. Anatomical preparations of Specola are examined from an artistic point of view – i.e. the figures of artists and modellers who operated in Florence. But also the scientific perspective – i.e. the history of medicine – and the didactic perspective, from the point of view of both teachers and pupils such as surgeons and especially of midwives and obstetricians, emerge in all their importance – as clearly manifested by the magnificent Suppellex obstetricia

In Italia la storia della formazione medica è stata profondamente influenzata dall'uso di cere anatomiche sin dal XVIII secolo, quando presso l'Archiginnasio di Bologna e la Specola di Firenze Specola furono aperte due delle più importanti scuole di ceroplastica. I preparati anatomici della Specola possono essere esaminati non solo da un punto di vista artistico ma anche secondo una prospettiva scientifica e didattica, mettendo così in rilievo il punto di vista di insegnanti e allievi