Mary Shelley was inspired by the experiments of Giovanni Aldini – a physics professor and researcher at the University of Bologna – in writing her masterpiece.
Stimulated, or should we say galvanized, by the studies of his uncle, Luigi Galvani, Giovanni was convinced he could resuscitate a corpse through electric stimuli, and he transferred to England where experiments on dead bodies were allowed.
Frankenstein’s story is certainly more exciting than the results of Aldini’s tests, but Bologna was left with a much less fictional exhibit.
In the Anatomical Theater of the University, which hosts a library today, students sat along the wooden tiers as they observed the professor performing examinations and autopsies on the table at the center of the amphitheater. This is a true story, and it will cause fear!
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