One of the most influential medical books of all time has returned to Leuven, where it was written. In De Humani Corporis Fabrica, published in 1555, Andreas Vesalius described the anatomy of the human body. KU Leuven university and the Flemish Community bought the book at an international auction for €1.6 million.
The book is a unique copy of the second edition with notes by Vesalius himself, a former student and teacher at the University of Leuven. It is lavishly illustrated by artists detailing what was known at the time about human anatomy.
“For us, it feels like it is coming home. Vesalius is one of the figures inextricably linked to the university’s history,” said rector Luc Sels. “After later studies in Padua and Paris, he returned here and carried out pioneering work on dissection of bodies. So the knowledge to write this masterpiece, he partly gained in Leuven. This was his preparatory work for a third edition, but that never came.”
For us, it feels like it is coming home. Vesalius is one of the figures inextricably linked to the university’s history
KU Leuven will digitise the newly acquired text and make it available to researchers around the world. “The fact that we acquired the book has the great advantage that it will not disappear into a private collection,” said Sels.
As part of celebrations to mark its 600th anniversary in 2025, the university is planning a Vesalius museum, but it is not yet certain whether climatic conditions will allow the manuscript to be displayed.
Founder of modern anatomy
KU Leuven and the Flemish Community acquired the book in February at an auction. The first edition of the book, published in 1545, is already owned by KU Leuven.
Vesalius was born in 1514 in Brussels – then part of the Habsburg Netherlands – and is often referred to as the founder of modern human anatomy. De Humani Corporis Fabrica is considered one of the most influential books on the subject.