Exploring Edinburgh

Hi everyone!

For my Rosenkrantz Discovery trip, I ventured to Edinburgh, Scotland to explore this epicenter of the history of medicine and science. The city was very different from my hometown of Boston in more ways than one--the weather was fairly chilly each day (although I can't say I missed the humidity of Boston in August) and almost all of the sites I visited were a 20-minute walk from one another. I quickly fell in love with the accessibility and charm of Edinburgh's winding, cobblestone streets.

While in Edinburgh, it's difficult for one to forget the huge role that the Scottish Enlightenment played in shaping Edinburgh's past and present, if not only because of the Enlightenment-era architecture that the entire city showcases. Almost all of the sites I visited were either built-up during, or influenced by, this period and its great minds, such as Adam Smith, David Hume, and William Cullen.

To begin my trip, I climbed Arthur's Seat to get a broad view of the city, followed by taking an historical tour of Edinburgh's famous underground vaults. I then visited the Edinburgh Castle to learn about the Wars of Scottish Independence to get a better idea of the history and culture of the city. Next, I explored the Science and Technology exhibitions at the National Museum of Scotland, followed by a visit to the Royal College of Physicians, where I explored the library and toured the beautiful grounds of the college. At the National Portrait Gallery, I learned about significant Scottish World War I figures, including physicians, and explored the phrenological head depictions of well-known individuals like Burke and Hare. I then made my way to the Royal Botanic Gardens, where I learned about the role of biodiversity in Scotland amidst beautiful collections of flowers and plants. At the National Library of Scotland, I checked out the John Murray Archive, where I read through a number of letters Darwin wrote to Murray, his publisher. Finally, I ended my trip with Calton Hill, a breathtaking space featuring the National Monument of Scotland, the City Observatory, and the site of David Hume's burial place.

I will highlight some of my favorite moments from my trip on this blog, but please feel free to ask any questions you might have about the sites I visited, or just Edinburgh in general! I'm really looking forward to hearing about all of your travels, as well.

Royal Botanic Garden

Calton Hill

Arthur's Seat

Santa Maria Della Scala museum complex

Santa Maria Della Scala

 http://www.santamariadellascala.com/w2d3/v3/view/sms2/home--0/index.html

The Santa Maria Della Scala museum complex is partially in restoration, but it is still an extraordinary cultural and site. It was originally a Hospital and has nearly a thousand years of history of hospitality and healthcare. The complex is most well known for the hospital museum. including the Old Sacristy, the Capella della Madonna, and the Church of the Santissima Annunziata. Other exhibits currently open include an underground archaeological Museum, an Art museum for Children, and a Center for Contemporary Art. Despite being across from the more well known and popular Duomo of Siena (pictured below), the museum holds its own and gives insight into the practice of medical care from as early as 898, when the Hospital was founded. People come from all over to see this museum specifically, for the experience is touching. 

The Duomo of Siena, across from the Santa Maria Della Scala

Most notable perhaps, are the magnificent frescoes that line the ceilings and tell the story of the Hospital and how it functioned. Just as in the 'La Specola' Museum in Florence, this place, once a fully functioning hospital, reminded me of the intricate relationship between art and science, and specifically art and medicine. The wax figure collection in La Specola contained medical objects artistically represented. Here, it was the practice of medicine itself that was glorified through art. In particular, I was struck by the prominence of the role of the wet nurses in taking care of abandoned children. In this picture below, the caption explanatory text below it said it described the life of an abandoned child in the hospital from the "strong arms of the wet nurse" to gaining education. Wet nurses were central to many of these paintings. It makes me reconsider and newly curious about the role women played in medical care-giving, way back to antiquity. 

 In many ways, even just walking through the hallways of the building was inspiring. Positioned directly across from one of the most amazing Cathedrals in Italy, the hospital balanced the extravagant wealth of the church with a modest dedication to philanthropic acts. The hospital was devoted to taking care of the poor, the abandoned, and of pilgrims. Though the level of care may not have been the same as it is today, the aesthetic would have been much more pleasing than any modern day hospital I have been in. Frescoes line the walls and ceilings, and light flows in through every direction.  

World's first Anatomical Theatre - Padua

Teatro Anatomico nella Pallazo Bo della Università di Padova

Anatomical Theatre In the Pallazo Bo of Padua University

http://www.unipd.it/en/university/cultural-heritage-0/palazzo-bo-and-anatomical-theatre

            In every one of these places, the experience was visceral, but no more than the anatomical theatre in Padua. You can only see it through a guided tour and there are no pictures allowed in the building, but here are some from the internet.

 The Anatomical Theatre was built in 1594 and is in the Palazzo del Bo as part of the University of Padua. On the tour, we were reminded that windows have been closed for most of the dissections. People would stand in the balconies of the oval shaped room and look down by candle light at the body. The smell would have been oppressive making it an all around intense sensory experience. We were allowed to go only into the bottom of the three tiers, the 'cadaver level' to look up and imagine what the original six tiers would have looked like. Unlike other anatomical theatres, there are no decorations. It is not dome shaped like the ester dome, with no light coming in from above. Indeed, there is nothing glamorous about the dissection hall. That said, it is important that it is the first of its kind. The University of Padua is one of the oldest universities in Europe and was hugely influential in the fields of Medicine and jurisprudence. Vesalius makes reference to the theatre in his Fabrica, which position the site as an important source of inspiration for what was to become early modern anatomy.

Wax Anatomical Figure Collection at il Museo 'La Specola'

‘La Specola’, il Museo Di Storia Naturale‘The Observatory, Museum of Natural History

http://www.msn.unifi.it/

With Italians artist-anatomists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo being at the forefront of early modern anatomy, I knew that I would have no lack of beautiful things to see, but I had no sense of how beautiful it would really be. From the pieces and their presentation to the beauty of the buildings themselves, artistic representation seemed a mechanism through which and in which to practice the science of anatomy. This is amplified in the few, but poignant, portrayals of women. The artistic representation of feminine sensuality is especially clear the Lorraine Collection of wax figures at ‘La Specola’ in Florence, one of the largest collections of 18^th century anatomical waxes. In below pictures, you can see the presentation of the women with pearl necklaces, flowing hair, and delicate features. Interestingly, the recumbent female figures have their legs crossed as if to be modest, while the male ones do not. Furthermore, the fragile wooden cases and silk drapes show the care for aesthetic appearance that originally went into the presentation of the collection to the public.

This was perhaps my favorite place I visited, not simply for aesthetic appeal, but also for it’s rich history.  The Museum of Natural History, previously known as The Imperial Royal Museum for Physics and Natural History, and now widely known as il museo “La Specola” is a part of the University of Florence, and it’s building also houses the university’s physics and natural science departments. The source of its name, which means ‘observatory’ is the 1780 addition of an ‘Osservatorio Astronomico’, an observatory, to the museum. That said, the observatory is only small part of the history of the space and what goes on inside it. Historically, it was unique in that it was the first of its kind of open its door to the general public in 1775. There were separate visiting times for the lower class than for the “intelligent and well educated people” but it was instrumental in the Medici family’s goal is promoting the sciences as well as the arts for the public. During my visit, I couldn’t help but think about how the museum, established by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Lorraine, might have economic benefits. In promoting the sciences, the cities education would improve which could potentially lead to more prosperity. Indeed, as we would expect the museum exists because of the work of wealthy families and academics. The buildings were bought by the grand Duke of Tuscany of one of Florence’s main roads, Via Romana. In addition, the museum is connected to one of the most famous sties in Florence, the Piti Palace.

My interest in visiting the museum was primarily based on a wax figure collection that is kept on the second floor. It spills out of a rich zoological exhibit. After walking through room after room of taxidermy worms, felines, monkeys, and birds, you arrive at the wax figure collection. In the background of the picture below you can see a taxidermy shark and the front, a recumbent figure made by a wax modeller student in 1830.

                                                                                           

There are 514 pieces on display, most with an accompanying framed drawing explaining what is seen in the figure. The collection attract experts in the field of anatomy as well as visitors attracted by their artistic quality. Through this collection, it is possible to feel as though the science of anatomy is a form of artistic expression. However, it would also seem that the artistry functions as a means to a scientific end. Not only does it require incredible artistic skill to depicts veins, muscles, and bones in such detail to serve is educational purposes, but there is also a certain amount of scientific creativity involved. I am reminded of the Vesalius illustrations we looked at from the Fabrica in the sophomore tutorial. In these, we saw anatomical figures in action with lush backgrounds displaying the anatomical function of the figures. In many of the wax figures of La Specola, the bodies are made to seem like they are living, which may have been a tool to help medical students associate the model with live human beings.  That said, it does seem a little bit discordant that these figures were used as an alternative to dissection of dead corpses and yet created with lifelike features.

The importance of knowing through picturing seems to have a special significance in the last room of the exhibit, the gynecological room. While female figures were spattered throughout the exhibit, female reproductive organs were limited to this room, separate from the others. The room has both male and female reproductive organs, but also detailed reproductions of women carrying babies and the growth of the fetus. Labeling these figures as anatomical representations seems to dissociate the body for the experience of carrying and birthing a child for the biological processes. While knowing how the body works through a figure of the arterial or nervous system is intuitive, understanding child birth and gestation through still wax figures seems more out of place to me. The female body is depicted more as a vessel than as an actor and it makes me wonder how this might reflect the way the medical system approached pregnancy.  

A similar, but much smaller, portion of an exhibit the Galileo Museum, right across the bridge from 'La Specola' has wax figures of various complications in birth, seen below. It would seem that figures are geared more towards the practice of delivering the child, rather than simply the components that make up the child. In both cases, the pealing back of the skin to reveal inner organs seems perverse and grotesque. 

Hello! A little intro

Ciao a tutto! 

Although I am writing this from my home in North Vancouver, my head and heart are still in the stone streets, Tuscan Vineyards, and winding canals of Italy in August. My discovery experience took me to Venice, Padua, San Bassano del Grappa, Florence, and Siena to look at anatomical texts, figures, and spaces. More specifically, I wanted to learn something about the roles and representations of women in these objects and places. The journey went something like this: I started with the first ever anatomical theatre made in 1595 at the university of Padua where Vesalius once held the title of ‘lecturer of Surgery’. Then, I looked at renaissance birthplates and early printing press mechanisms used to make texts like the Fabrica in Bassano del Grappa. In Venice, I saw 17^th century obstetric and gynecological texts and tools at the Grande Scuola di San Marco, a medical museum embedded in Venice’s main hospital. Moving west, towards Tuscany, I explored the development of the Santa Maria Della Scala hospital and the prominent role Wet Nurses played in the medical care through a museum across from Siena’s outstanding Duomo.  Finally, I was amazed by the grandeur and accuracy of impressive wax anatomical figures at the Galileo and La Specola museums in Florence. It was an exciting journey, to say the least. To see artifacts not only in the city they were made, but also in the very buildings they were made and used was a unique and powerful learning experience. For every place I went, there were a million more I wanted to see. Since I cannot go back quite yet, I will simply relive the experience on this blog by sharing some of my thoughts.  I will share some of my favorite places in detail, and perhaps just reference others, but I will be more than excited to talk about them in person!