Marcello Malpighi

Marcello Malpighi (1628–94) was born to a wealthy family at Crevalcore near Bologna, and graduated in philosophy and in medicine in 1653 at the University of Bologna. Although he never married or had any children of his own, he has gone down in history as the 'father of microscopical anatomy, histology, physiology and embryology'. A talented artist, he beautifully sketched his discoveries in the anatomy of both animals and plants. was at a time when many physicians held tight to the principles of the ancient Greek physicist Galen and rejected any new discoveries.

Early in his career, Malpighi worked in Bologna with anatomist Bartolomeo Massari, performing dissections and vivisections of animals at his home. He married Massari's daughter (although she died the following year) but was regarded by his fellows with some suspicions for his independence of thought. Nevertheless he was made a professor medicine at Bologna University in 1656.