Medieval neuroanatomy: The text of Mondino Dei Luzzi and the plates of guido da Vigevano*

The Italian anatomists Mondino dei Luzzi (c. 1275-1326) and Guido da Vigevano (c. 1280-1349) must be regarded as pivotal figures in the history of medieval anatomy. Mondino's book (written in 1316 and published in 1478) was the first treatise of anatomy based on the dissection of human cadavers, whereas the plates of Vigevano's manuscript (1345) marked the beginning of a new trend which became increasingly widespread during the following centuries: the use of anatomical illustration in textbooks. Though their neuroanatomical descriptions are rather simple and somewhat difficult to correlate with current descriptions, analysis of these works sheds new light on the knowledge of brain and spinal cord anatomy in the Middle Ages (Olry, 1996). Vigevano's contribution to neuroanatomy, however, appears more important than that of Mondino dei Luzzi, probably because his anatomical illustrations often compelled the draftsman to break free from Galen's dominating influence.