Background
Girolamo Fabrizio was born on May 20, 1537, in Aquapendente, Italy, of a noble and once-wealthy family; that he was the eldest son is indicated by his having been named for his paternal grandfather.
Via 8 Febbraio 1848, 2, 35122 Padova PD, Italy
Around 1550 Fabrizio's family sent him to Padua where, under the patronage of a patrician Venetian family named Lippomano or Lipamano, he studied Greek and Latin, then logic and philosophy. He went on to medicine and took his degree in medicine and philosophy at Padua in about 1559 under the guidance of Gabriele Falloppio.
1600
The 1600 depiction of the sylvian fissure (in top right side) in Fabricius's Tabulae Pictae.
Via 8 Febbraio 1848, 2, 35122 Padova PD, Italy
Around 1550 Fabrizio's family sent him to Padua where, under the patronage of a patrician Venetian family named Lippomano or Lipamano, he studied Greek and Latin, then logic and philosophy. He went on to medicine and took his degree in medicine and philosophy at Padua in about 1559 under the guidance of Gabriele Falloppio.
anatomist embryologist physician scientist Surgeon
Girolamo Fabrizio was born on May 20, 1537, in Aquapendente, Italy, of a noble and once-wealthy family; that he was the eldest son is indicated by his having been named for his paternal grandfather.
Around 1550 Fabrizio's family sent him to Padua where, under the patronage of a patrician Venetian family named Lippomano or Lipamano, he studied Greek and Latin, then logic and philosophy. He went on to medicine and took his degree in medicine and philosophy at Padua in about 1559 under the guidance of Gabriele Falloppio.
After receiving his degree in medicine and philosphy in Padua in about 1559, Fabrizio practiced medicine for some time in that city, particularly as a Wundarzt. During the years 1563 to 1565 he devoted himself to giving private anatomy lessons. In April 1565 he was nominated by the university to lecture on both anatomy and surgery. The position brought him an annual salary of 100 florins and entailed additional responsibilities in anatomical work. Fabrizio presented his first lecture on December 18, 1566 and held his tenure until 1613. He was repeatedly reconfirmed in his academic position - with appropriate raises in pay - and in 1600 was given life tenure, with the title sopraordinario. From 1609 on anatomy and surgert were given separately, and Fabrizio became sopraordinario lecturer in anatomy only, retaining his full salary, however, which by that time amounted to 100 scudi a year. He retired from teaching in 1613, having served the University of Padua for nearly fifty years.
Fabrizio’s long academic career was not without strife. In 1588 he was publicly accused by his students of neglecting his teaching - a charge that would seem to have some ground in truth, but which may be explained in part by Fabrizio’s repeated illnesses. Certainly he was a difficult character, as may be seen by his clash with his German students, whom he ridiculed in the course of a public lecture in February 1589 because of their slow and harsh speech - the quarrel was reconciled only in October of that year.
Fabrizio further became embroiled in a protest in 1597 about having been placed after the professors of philosophy on the Rotula of the university; he had an argument in 1608 with Eustachio Rudio; became involved in a dispute about the schedule of courses with his colleague Annibale Bimbiolo in 1611; and in 1613 attempted to prevent the nomination of a German councillor of the university because he was annoyed with the German students for attending the private anatomy classes given by Giulio Casseri.
It is likely too, that Fabrizio slighted his teaching duties in the interest of scientific research. He did, however, make substantial contributions to the university. Among other things, and at great personal costs, he built a large anatomical theatre in which he performed his disseecttions. It was built in 1594 and inaugurated by him in 1595.
Fabrizio took active part in matters concening the university: in 1574 he was instrumental in securing the acquittal of a German student from a charge of homiside; in 1591 he intervened on behalf of some German students who had been arrested for carrying arms; in 1592-1593 he concerned himself with the reconstruction of the temporary anatomical theater and in 1595 with free admission to the permanent theaer; in 1606 he again acted on behalf of an arrested German student; and in the winter of 1608-1609 he gave a cadaver to the German students, among whom were Olaus Worm and Caspar Bartholin, so that they could prepare the skeleton. It is thus clear that his his relations with his students imporved in the passage of time.
As a surgeon and physician Fabrizio enjoyed high professional acclaim and the patronage of many eminent people. In 1581 he attented a brother of the duke of Mantua; in 1591 he was consulted by the duke of Urbino about the cure for certain fevers that were rampant in Pesro; and in 1594 he corresponded with Mercuriale and Tagliacozzi about a case of rectogenital fistula. He went to Florence in 1604 to treat Carlo de’ Medici, the son of Ferdinand I and Christina di Lorena, while in 1606 he visited Galileo, who subsequently became his patient. He visited Venice with Spigelio on October 9, 1607, and while he was there took care of Paolo Sarpi, who had been wounded a few days before; for these services he was made a knight of St. Mark. by the Republic of Venice.
Fabrizio’s fame and salary continued to grow with his success and his reappointment as the chair of anatomy within the University. He was admitted to the College of Philosophy and Medicine on May 12, 1584, when he resigned his position as the chair of surgery in favor of Julius Casserius. By 1589 however, Fabrizio was reappointed to the chair for the fourth time. In 1594 he influenced the construction of and later inaugurated the university’s first permanent anatomical theater, which is still preserved and bears Fabrizio’s name. There he gave lectures and performed many anatomical demonstrations, dissecting the uterus and placenta of a pregnant woman in 1586. He began lectures on the formation of the fetus in 1589 and provided private lessons on the subject of embryology in 1592. Fabrizio was given life tenure in 1600 and awarded Supraordinarius of anatomy, and by 1603 he ascended to the title of Professor Supraordinarius in surgery. In 1609 the chair of anatomy and surgery were separated by formal decree, and Fabrizio retained only the title of Supraordinarius of anatomy.
Fabrizio was affiliated with the Roman Catholic church.
As a scientist, Fabrizio was an indefatigable and scrupulous observer, describing his results with exactitude. His interpretation of observed phenomena was ofte shaped by tradition, however, and he may not be considered a comparative anatomist in the modern sense because he made no studies of homologous structures and did not attempt to analyze relationships and affinities of the organs that he studied.
At some unknown time Fabrizio married Violante Vidal. They had no children and she died in 1618. Fabrizio had an illegitimate son, Francesco, probably born before his marriage. Francesco also took his degree in medicine but was a source of little pleasure or pride to his father - in fact, a quarrel over money brought father an son into legal confrontation. Fabrizio had serious disagreements with other close relatives as well. The person to whom he was closest was his great-grandniece, Semidea, whom he adopted on the death of her father and raised as his daughter in Padua. He married her to Daniele Dolfin on May 9, 1619.