Observing to understand. From modern medicine to contemporary research

Wednesday 2 September, starting at 7 p.m., the University of Padua is offering a guided tour divided into several time slots, starting from Palazzo del Bo and ending at the Museo della Natura e dell’Uomo, where the exhibition The Earth Is Blue Like an Orange. The Mystery of Research is on display.

The itinerary takes visitors through five centuries of the history of scientific thought, from the origins of medicine and modern science to the most recent frontiers of molecular research. A journey that highlights the constant dialogue between intuition and method, scientific observation and artistic representation.

The first part of the visit takes place in the historic rooms of Palazzo del Bo, home of the Paduan University. Stops include the Anatomical Theatre, the world’s first permanent anatomical theatre, inaugurated in 1595, the Aula Magna and the Sala dei Quaranta, where Galileo Galilei’s chair is preserved.
These places bear witness to the central role played by the University of Padua in the birth of modern science, when the direct observation of nature and the human body began to establish itself as a method of knowledge.

The itinerary continues at the Museo della Natura e dell’Uomo with a visit to the exhibition The Earth Is Blue Like an Orange. The Mystery of Research. The exhibition begins with anatomical illustrations, considered one of the earliest visual languages of science, and reaches all the way to images produced by contemporary research. From sixteenth-century anatomical drawing to today’s molecular representations, the exhibition tells the story of how the scientific gaze has made it possible to investigate the structure of the human body, its balances and its transformations.

The initiative links two symbolic places in the “Padua city of Science” circuit, offering the opportunity to retrace some of the fundamental stages in the development of scientific research in the city. The journey between the two venues is made on foot.

The ticket costs 15 euros. A special rate of 10 euros is available for under-26s and for subscribers to the Museo della Natura e dell’Uomo. Tickets can be purchased online or at the museum ticket office.