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Felice
Fontana (1730-1805). Although encouraged in the direction of
a religious career at a very early age by his father, he never
really felt any particular inclination for his calling. He was
one of the most famous Italian scientists of the Eighteenth
century. He organized the setting up of the Florentine Imperial
and Royal Museum of Physics and Natural History on behalf of
Grand Duke of Tuscany Peter Leopold Lorraine-Habsburg, and he
became its first Director. In this museum, known also as the
Museo della Specola or Observatory Museum, Fontana organized
an wax anatomical modelling workshop, which soon became the
most famous workshop of its kind in all Europe. The story goes
that Fontana loved studying anatomy so much that he even took
the anatomical parts he was studying to the table with him at
meal times. His discoveries included the poison sacs of the
viper.
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