The Faculty of Medicine and Surgery hall is one of the oldest spaces in Palazzo del Bo. Its fourteenth-century structure predates the Hospitium Bovis, and is still visible in the ceiling and in the remains of decorative frescoes on the walls.

The Anatomies that cover the entire south wall of the room are a much more recent opus by Achìlle Funi, who was also the author of the entrance fresco, completed in 1942. It shows Fame writing the name of Morgagni in the book of History.

Giovanni Battista Morgagni was professor of anatomy in Padua from 1711 to 1771. He is rightly considered the founder of modern medicine because he was able to demonstrate that the empirical study of the human body was essential for identifying the location and cause of diseases, and then treating them. Until then, anatomy as a discipline, promoted by Andries van Wesel in Padua, had no practical impact on clinical medicine, and was still based on Ancient Greek theories.

Of the paintings seen on the walls, many come from Morgagni’s studio. Some of the characters portrayed, like Floriano Caldàni, a professor and rector of the university in 1835–6, are still physically present in the room ... at least in part. The skulls we see in the display cabinet at the back of the room are said to be those of professors who bequeathed them to the university. In reality, a recent study showed that there is no trace of such a bequest and it was anatomy professor Francesco Cortèse who wanted to create a personal collection with the remains of his predecessors and colleagues.

Cortese used his collection to further his studies in phrenology – a pseudoscience that suggests intellectual faculties and personality can be seen from the shape of the skull. But what Floriano Caldani’s skull suggested to Cortese remains a mystery.