1533-1610

Italian Physician

Girolamo Fabrici was born in Acquapendente, Italy, in 1533 and received his medical training (both an M.D. and Ph.D.) at the University of Padua in his home country. Although he preferred private practice and research to teaching, he is best remembered as the teacher and mentor of William Harvey (1578-1657), regarded as the father of modern medicine and physiology.

In addition to his famous student, Fabrici had a renowned teacher, Gabriele Falloppio (1523-1562), an anatomist who achieved a place in medical history by discovering the Fallopian tubes and other parts of the female reproductive system.

When Falloppio retired from teaching anatomy and surgery at the University of Padua, Fabrici was chosen to replace him. Although historical accounts vary in certain areas, it is generally accepted that Fabrici did not enjoy his teaching responsibilities and frequently avoided them by disappearing well before classes...