Marcantonio della Torre

Marcantonio della Torre (1481–1511) was an Italian anatomist and physician, known for his significant contributions to the field of anatomy. He was born in Novara, Italy, and studied medicine at the University of Pavia.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Marcantonio della Torre was born in 1481 in Novara, a city in northern Italy. He pursued his medical studies at the University of Pavia, one of the oldest universities in Europe. There, he developed a keen interest in the study of human anatomy.

Career[edit | edit source]

Della Torre served as a professor of anatomy at the University of Pavia. He is best known for his collaboration with the renowned artist Leonardo da Vinci. Together, they planned to publish a comprehensive treatise on human anatomy. Unfortunately, their project was left unfinished due to Della Torre's untimely death in 1511 due to the plague.

Collaboration with Leonardo da Vinci[edit | edit source]

In 1506, Della Torre invited Leonardo da Vinci to Pavia to collaborate on an anatomical project. Da Vinci, who was interested in the human body's structure, eagerly accepted the invitation. They planned to produce a treatise that would include detailed drawings of the human body, accompanied by explanatory texts. Da Vinci made over 200 detailed anatomical drawings during this collaboration. However, their ambitious project was left incomplete due to Della Torre's death.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Despite the incomplete status of their project, the collaboration between Della Torre and da Vinci significantly contributed to the field of anatomy. The detailed drawings made by da Vinci during their collaboration are considered some of the most accurate anatomical sketches of the time.