Francesco Antonio Boi
| Francesco Antonio Boi | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 1767 Olzai, Nuoro, Kingdom of Sardinia |
| Died | May 15, 1859 (aged 91–92) Cagliari, Kingdom of Sardinia |
| Nationality | Sardinian |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Known for | Anatomy |
Francesco Antonio Boi (1767 - 15 May 1850) was a Sardinian physician and professor of anatomy. He is known for his work with the sculptor Clemente Susini in preparing highly detailed and accurate wax anatomical models.
Francesco Antonio Boi was born in Olzai, Nuoro, Sardinia in 1767, the son of a farmer. As a child he showed a high level of intelligence, and was sent to the Franciscans of Fonni in Sardinia to train for a career in the church. At the time, the church provided the only way in which someone from a poor family could obtain an education. He remained at the seminary until he was eighteen. He completed his studies in grammar, literature and philosophy, but then became interested in medicine and left the friars to attend the University of Cagliari. On 22 October 1795 he graduated as a doctor of medicine, and was given a teaching position in the university.
On 13 September 1796 Boi was appointed Associate Professor by royal decree, and on 16 March 1799 he was made Professor of Anatomy. Although the chair of anatomy had been founded in 1764, until Boi was appointed it had been filled by professors from other disciplines. Boi lectured at Cagliari for three years, but there were few students enrolled in the faculty. In 1801 he therefore asked for permission, which was granted, to visit other universities to continue his study of anatomy.
Boi first visited the University of Pavia, where the famous anatomist Antonio Scarpa (1752-1832) was the professor of anatomy, and then the University of Pisa before going on to Florence. There was no university in Florence, but there was a flourishing school of anatomy at the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova under Paolo Mascagni (1755-1816), whose friend Felice Fontana (1730-1805) was the founder and director of La Specola Wax Museum. Charles Felix (1765-1831), the younger brother of King Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia (1759-1824), financed Boi during his stay in Florence.
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