Mondino de Luzzi: a luminous figure in the darkness of the Middle Ages

Abstract

No research on the history of anatomy in the medieval period can be considered complete without mentioning Mondino de Luzzi (cca. 1270-1326). Mondino de Luzzi (also known as Mundini or Mundinus, Liuzzi, Lucci, Liucius, or even Lentiis and Leutiis) was an Italian physician, anatomist, and professor of surgery at the University of Bologna (Figure 1) (1). While his admirers call him the “Restorer of anatomy,” and his teachings on dissection influenced even Leonardo da Vinci (2), his critics claim that he only observed rather than performed dissections and purely repeated his predecessors’ findings (3). All this controversy has justifiably created an atmosphere of mystery around this medieval anatomist. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the life and achievements of Mondino de Luzzi. Figure 1 Portrait of Mondino created by Giovanni Alessandro Brambilla (Available from: http://ihm.nlm.nih.gov/luna/servlet/detail/NLMNLM~1~1~101436495~174950:Mondino-De-Luzzi).