New life to Italian university anatomical collections: desire to give value and open museological issues. Cases compared

Francesca Monza; Gabriella Cusella; Roberta Ballestriero; Alberto Zanatta

doi:10.5114/pjp.2019.84455

eISSN: 2084-9869
ISSN: 1233-9687

Polish Journal of Pathology

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1/2019
vol. 70

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abstract:

Review paper

New life to Italian university anatomical collections: desire to give value and open museological issues. Cases compared

Francesca Monza

¹

,

Gabriella Cusella

²

,

Roberta Ballestriero

³

,

Alberto Zanatta

⁴

Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy
Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, Unit of Human Anatomy. University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London. The Gordon Museum of Pathology, London, United Kingdom
Museum of Pathological Anatomy, University Museums Centre, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

Pol J Pathol 2019; 70 (1): 7-13

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/pjp.2019.84455

Online publish date: 2019/04/24

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The anatomical museums are one of the most difficult categories of museums to deal with because the issues addressed and the stored materials are complex to communicate and often not suitable for all audiences. The history of medicine teaches us that the knowledge of our body is a fascinating topic that continues to be the subject of study and research.

The Italian anatomical museums are mostly university property, often closed and with specimens in urgent need of restoration.

Their rooms still house important collections of human biological samples, dry or in liquid, collected between the eighteenth and twentieth century: a historical heritage that testifies to the evolution of medical science and provides a searchable archive of biological and genetic data.

The curator of such a museum must confront many issues – museological, legislative and ethical – many of which are unclear and incomplete.

This article provides an overview of museological issues in the anatomical area in order to offer ideas and visions, from a comparison of three different examples: the Museum of Human Anatomy of the University of Pavia, the Museum of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Padua and the Gordon Museum of Pathology in London.

keywords:

New life to Italian university anatomical collections: desire to give value and open museological issues. Cases compared

Francesca Monza 1 , Gabriella Cusella 2 , Roberta Ballestriero 3 , Alberto Zanatta 4

medical heritage, medical museum, history of medicine, human pathology

Francesca Monza

¹

,

Gabriella Cusella

²

,

Roberta Ballestriero

³

,

Alberto Zanatta

⁴