We started at the library of the Institute of Sciences at the University of Bologna. The university is the oldest in the Western world (founded 1088) and this library was started in the 1700s. We saw a really cool display of plant and animal specimens alongside the woodcuts made from them, and then the books those prints ended up in. Very cool. Then we saw a room full of wax anatomical models--mostly of babies in the womb. (The university also had the first obstetrics department.) They also had this model of a woman...I like the melodramatic pose, and the pearl necklace.
We also looked at their beautiful reading rooms and some amazing illuminated manuscripts and incunabulae.
Then, we went to a museum of music and briefly looked at some of their wonderful things...instruments and art and the first printed books of music, and then other music books printed in a variety of ways. I thought it was all very neat, but we didn't get to see the whole museum because we were pressed for time and they had a classroom presentation prepared for us. I must say, though, that their online catalog system is the most amazing that I've ever seen. I know only library dorks get excited about things like that, so I won't bore you with the details. But trust me, it's great.
From there we had a very brief lunch break before we headed to the historic municipal library and archive. This was a very neat building (just like most of them in Italy) but I must admit that the presentation they had for us was a bit long winded and dry and they didn't actually show us any of the fun things in their collection. I struggled to stay awake.... But, then we got to go into the anatomical theater. This building was originally part of the university and this room was where they would teach anatomy...so a corpse would be on a marble table in the middle and students would sit all around and watch a dissection as the professor explained from his chair up above. It was a really beautiful room.
I like this sculpture...you may notice that the guy is holding a nose. This is because he was one of the first plastic surgeons. I guess in the 18th century it was easy to lose the tip of your nose in a duel. If you did, you'd go to this guy and he'd sew it back on for you.
Then, we had an appointment at the public library, but I confess that I skipped out on that one. I was a little worn out from the long-winded Italian lectures and super-fast museum visiting. And, I didn't want to leave without having seen a little of the city.
So class is over...but I still have a few days left before I head home (where I'll have to really start working on my projects).
2 comments:
what a great class....I hope mine will be that much fun!
as classes go, not half bad. and the meals seem to be a cut above what you could have gotten from vending machines back in Austin.
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