Amor veneris

Last Monday I was quite bored at home so I headed to a public library in Salvador. There, I started to search one book long enough to keep me entertained but short enough to finish it in one sitting (to say, three hours). Fortunately, the first book I took out from the bookshelf was very amusing and perfect for my requirements.

The book`s name is “The Anatomist”, written by Federico Andahazi. The book is about the Realdo Colombo, one famous anatomist of the XVI century from the University of Padua. He`s a celebrity not only because he wrote “re anatomica” or he was a disciple of Vesalio. He is also known for being the first one to describe the clitoris on an official anatomical book. The story is about the succession of events that leaded him to publish his “discovery”, from his infatuation with a prostitute to all the trouble with the Vaticano because of the scandal that meaned sexualize the women`s body.

I absolutely loved the book because the history was told in a way that appalled to sensation and emotional reactions to the twisted morality of the academic and ecclesiastic elite from Europe in that time. I totally recommend it, especially to people who like to know about science history.