Teatro Anatomico

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  • Address
    Piazza Galvani 1, city centre
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  • Phone
    051 27 68 11

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Lonely Planet review

Housed in the Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio, the fascinating 17th-century Teatro Anatomico is where public body dissections were held under the sinister gaze of an Inquisition priest, ready to intervene if proceedings became too spiritually compromising. Cedar-wood tiered seats surround a central marble-topped table while a sculptured Apollo looks down from the ceiling. The canopy above the lecturer's chair is supported by two skinless figures carved into the wood.

The theatre, together with many of the building's frescoes, was destroyed during WWII and subsequently rebuilt.