Luigi Calori (8 February 1807 – 19 December 1896) was an
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
physician who was Professor of Human Anatomy at the
University of Bologna
The University of Bologna ( it, Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna, UNIBO) is a public research university in Bologna, Italy. Founded in 1088 by an organised guild of students (''studiorum''), it is the oldest university in continuo ...
for over 50 years.
Life
Luigi Calori was born in
San Pietro in Casale
San Pietro in Casale ( Bolognese: ) is a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
It is situated north from Bologna, and southwest from Ferrara. San Pietro is on the main rail line from Bologna to Padua and Ve ...
in 1807, son of Teresa Gibelli and Francesco Calori. His father was a country doctor.
He first studied at the Jesuit college in
Ferrara
Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...
before going on the University of Bologna.
He graduated on 7 July 1829 with a medical degree.
During his years of study he met several exponents of Italian culture including
Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...
.
He was appointed anatomical prosector at the university on 4 November 1830.
He obtained a degree in Surgery on 4 April 1833.
In 1835 he was appointed Professor of Pictorial Anatomy at the
Academy of Fine Arts, Bologna
The Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna ("academy of fine arts of Bologna") is a public tertiary academy of fine art in Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy. It has a campus in Cesena.
Giorgio Morandi taught engraving at the Accademia f ...
, holding this position until 1845.
On 19 October 1844 he was appointed Professor of Anatomy at the University of Bologna in succession to Professor Mondini.
He held this position for 52 years until the day of his death in 1896.
He was also Director of the anatomical museum of Bologna from 1850 to 1896, Dean of the Medical Faculty of Bologna in the years 1869–72 and 1882–85,
Great Rector of the University of Bologna in 1876–77, honorary member and then several times President (1863–71, 1880–81, 1884–88) of the
Academy of Sciences of Bologna Institute, and president of the Medical Surgery Society of Bologna in 1856 and 1888.
Work
Calori produced a great volume of scientific work.
He was interested in many areas of anatomy including normal anatomy, pathological anatomy,
teratology
Teratology is the study of abnormalities of physiological development in organisms during their life span. It is a sub-discipline in medical genetics which focuses on the classification of congenital abnormalities in dysmorphology. The related t ...
and comparative anatomy.
He was assisted by
Caesar Bettini.
He was interested in anthropology, and wrote on differences in anatomy between natives of different parts of the world.
He concluded from his examinations of the brains of Negroes that, although they were generally similar to those of Europeans, there was evidence that they were closer to the ape.
In 1873 Bologna published at the city's expense his book ''Of the Races which have stocked the ancient Necropolis at the Certosa of Bologna'', with 17 plates, in a limited edition of 62 copies to be distributed among the learned men of Europe.
Calori left many valuable preserved specimens and models that fill the university's museums of normal anatomy, pathology and comparative anatomy.
His collection of over two thousand skulls, dating from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era, is preserved in glass cases in the entrance corridor of the Institutes of Anatomy, in Via Irnerio 48.
Honors and recognition
Umberto I of Italy
Umberto I ( it, Umberto Rainerio Carlo Emanuele Giovanni Maria Ferdinando Eugenio di Savoia; 14 March 1844 – 29 July 1900) was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination on 29 July 1900.
Umberto's reign saw Italy attempt colo ...
appointed Calori Commander of the
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the wo ...
at the ceremony sponsored by the Academy of Sciences to honor its fifty years of teaching. He was also awarded the honors of Knight and Commander of the
Order of the Crown of Italy
The Order of the Crown of Italy ( it, Ordine della Corona d'Italia, italic=no or OCI) was founded as a national order in 1868 by King Vittorio Emanuele II, to commemorate the unification of Italy in 1861. It was awarded in five degrees for civi ...
, Knight of the
Order of Guadalupe
There were three Imperial Orders of the Mexican Empire, which were Orders of chivalry created to reward Heads of state and prominent people during the two periods of the Mexican Empire—the ' ( es, Orden Imperial de Guadalupe), the ''Imperial Orde ...
in the
Second Mexican Empire
The Second Mexican Empire (), officially the Mexican Empire (), was a constitutional monarchy established in Mexico by Mexican monarchists in conjunction with the Second French Empire. The period is sometimes referred to as the Second French i ...
and Knight of the
Civil Order of Savoy
The Civil Order of Savoy was founded as an order of knighthood in 1831 by the King of Sardinia, Charles Albert, Duke of Savoy. It is now replaced by the Order of Merit of Savoy.The intention was to reward those virtues not belonging to the existi ...
. In 1885, when the anatomist was still alive, the Piazza Maggiore in his home town was dedicated to him and is now called Piazza Calori.
Bibliography
Selected writings:
*
*
*
Notes and references
Citations
Sources'
*
*
*
*
* Published on the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calori, Luigi
1807 births
1896 deaths
University of Bologna faculty
University of Bologna alumni
Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna faculty
19th-century Italian physicians
Commanders of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Italy)