Many historical finds of great cultural value are housed in the former Royal Institute of Human Anatomy, within the  University Hospital, since the year of its establishment (1932). This heritage has been gradually collected by the  Directors of the Institute who have succeeded one another over time, and now it is a huge collection witness of educational methods and scientific instruments, used for centuries to teach one of the key subject for the preparation of generations of medical doctors.

Ancient volumes, anatomical waxes and other finds of historical interest used in the past for educational purposes (for example instruments for anatomical dissection and for the microscopic observation of histological preparations) have recently been displayed with the new installation of the “Hall of Human Anatomical Collection”. Of particular interest  are: the anatomical waxes, representing heads and skeleton parts (artifacts attributed to the Sicilian ceroplastics school) and some models of embryo-fetal development.

Specially interesting is also the big Anatomical Room used for exercises on animal organs (sheep, ox, pig exc etc.) or  on plastic models. In this room there is also one of the first transmission electron microscope of the Institute.

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