Three unusual places steeped in history

Everywhere you go in Italy, you can find the unusual, the unexpected and hidden in plain sight unbelievable historic treasures. Here are three that may surprise you!

Just a short walk from Piazza Maggiore, the central piazza in Bologna, you will find one of the world’s most beautiful anatomical theatres. This historic site, known as Teatro Anatomico, is nestled in the Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio, not far from Europe’s oldest university, established in Bologna in the 11th century.

Completely carved from spruce wood, construction of the anatomical theatre began in 1637 and was completed ten years later. Its purpose was the dissection of human cadavers which were performed by candlelight.

The ceiling is decorated with symbolic figures representing fourteen constellations with Apollo, the protector of medicine, positioned in the centre. The choice to paint an astrological theme goes back to the tradition of consulting the stars before proceeding with operations or administering drugs. Astrology was associated with medicine and every part of the body was placed under the protection of a zodiac sign. Astrology was studied at the University of Bologna until the end of the 17th century.

In the middle of the room is a white Carrara marble table that was dedicated to performing public dissections. The audience sat on tiered wooden seating around the room. The hall has carved wooden panels and statues of notable physicians, including Hippocrates. One of the figures, Gaspare Tagliacozzi, celebrated as a pioneer of reconstructive and plastic surgery, notably the “Italian method” of rhinoplasty, is represented holding a nose.

Two statues called “Spellati”, skinned men, were sculpted in 1734 by Ercole Lelli, a famous wax modeller of the Institute of Sciences. The figures are positioned either side of the professor’s chair.

Apart from its significant historical value, the Teatro Anatomico is visually stunning and well worth a visit.

An amazing event occurred in Positano in the year 2000. Located under the church of Santa Maria Assunta, a Roman Villa dating back to the 1st century BC was discovered. The majestic villa built by the Romans was destroyed in 79 AD with the eruption of Vesuvius which also destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The villa was buried at a depth of eleven metres and remained so until excavations began in 2003, which ended in 2017. After many years of intense restoration work, people were able to visit in 2018. It is a guided tour restricted to ten people at a time to protect the frescoes.

The first accessible part is the Upper Crypt where space has been set up to display the objects found during the excavation (jugs, vases, cups). There are 69 masonry seats that were used for drying the dead. Transparent and illuminated walkways allow you to admire the beauty of this underground treasure.

The colours of the frescoes are truly remarkable - blue, yellow, red and green as well as images of peacocks, sea snakes, cupids and birds. The colours used indicate the wealth of the owners of the villa.

The project is ongoing as more rooms are discovered, but it is a lengthy process made difficult by the location in the heart of Positano and available funding. It is incredible to think how many tourists walk down the congested Via Mulini, past the church of Santa Maria Assunta to Spiaggia Grande, the main beach, with no knowledge of what lies beneath them.

I’ve always loved browsing bookstores in Italy, but finding the oldest library in the world was on another level and a feeling of being suspended in time.

The treasures of the Capitolare reveal a collection of over 1200 manuscripts, including works that are unique in the world. The space is dramatic and expansive. It has to be. There are also 100,000 books, 750 pieces of art and 11,000 scrolls.

The tagline of the library is “where knowledge meets emotion”. Love that.

The oldest library is right next to Verona’s cathedral. A school was set up for boys to be educated to become priests, but they needed school texts. So a scriptorium was established beside the cathedral, where monks with the best handwriting spent their lives copying and producing manuscripts and books.

In 517 a monk named Ursicino completed a book about the lives of saints and committed the sin of vanity - he signed his name and the date in the book. While the church may not have been happy with him, historians were ecstatic because Ursicino’s signature and date offered written proof that the library was active in 517. The library is thought to date from 100-150 years before Ursicino’s ego got the better of him, but there’s no proof, so 517 is the key date.

There may be older libraries in the world, but the important distinction is that the Biblioteca Capitolare is the oldest still functioning library in the world.

The plague of 1630 hit Verona hard with 35,000 of its population of 55,000 dying, including the Capitolare’s librarian. In anticipation of a new library being built, he had stored some of the most valuable manuscripts to protect them, but he died of plague and took the secret location to his grave. No-one could find them for 82 years.

Finally, late one night in 1712, the librarian found the manuscripts in cupboards with fake bottoms.

During the Second World War, the most valuable books were again hidden. The library prefect packed 53 wooden boxes with manuscripts, printed texts, documents and some art objects. Some were placed in safe rooms in the cathedral next door and others hidden in a mountain town north of Verona. They were all saved from the 1945 bombing of Verona.

There have also been earthquakes and floods, as the library backs onto the Adige River. The worst flood, in 1882, covered 11,000 manuscripts in mud.

Through 15 centuries, the oldest library has survived. Offering tours to the public is a new venture that only started in 2023, so many Verona people are yet to discover this hidden gem.

Ci vediamo lossima settimana.

Deb