[The fate of the wood of the Fabrica of 1543].

Abstract

Destiny of the wood blocks which have been used for engraving of illustrations of 1543 edition of the Fabrica is really outstanding. Several times lost and found again, they were transported over Europe in a surprising conservation state, for more than four centuries. Made by the famous Venitian wood-cutters, the blocks cross the Alps to join up Basel in Switzerland and Joannes Oporinus, the printer. Felix Platter uses 48 Vesalian wood-blocks for his own treaty in 1583. These blocks reappear in Augsburg in 1706, at the printer Andreas Maschenbauer's; they are found again by Von Wollter from Ingolstadt: they are used to illustrate Leveling's anatomy book in 1781 and 1783. Ingolstadt university and the blocks will be transferred to Landshut because of Napoleon's war, then to Munich in 1826. But in 1892 147 blocks are found again in the library; and are forgotten again. Forty years after, 230 blocks are discovered again! Icones anatomicae represent the last and fabulous edition made in 1934. The Second World War closes this epic with the library fire on July 13th 1944: none of these precious blocks remains today.