Marcello Malpighi (1628-1694)

The current paper is intended as a short but precise illustration of Marcello Malpighi's cultural life, a small tribute we deserve to a genius of such sharp insight. He made many discoveries in the fields of the macro- and microanatomy of the brain, nerves, liver, kidneys, spleen, tegument, lymph nodes, reproductive system and other organs, but rather than pursuing these in any detail, we have tried to profile Marcello Malpighi's scientific life in the cultural context of his time, while also providing some information on the most fascinating phases of his research on renal structure and function.