Vlyssis Aldrouandi Patricii Bononiensis
MONSTRORUMHISTORIA
MDCXLII
A digital edition of Ulisse Aldrovandi's encyclopedic treatise on monsters, prodigies, and the wonders of nature—one of the foundational texts of early modern natural history.
Featuring the original Latin text, modern English translation, and over 500 woodcut illustrations from the 1642 Bologna edition.
De Opere
ABOUT THE WORK
Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522–1605) was an Italian naturalist whose encyclopedic ambition sought to document all of nature's creations. His Monstrorum Historia, published posthumously in 1642, represents the culmination of Renaissance curiosity about the boundaries of the natural world.
The work catalogues an extraordinary menagerie of monstrous births, mythological creatures, and natural anomalies—from conjoined twins and hermaphrodites to dragons and sea monsters—illustrated with detailed woodcut engravings that remain striking to this day.
Exemplum
LATIN & ENGLISH
Latine
“Cum Deus optimus maximus cunctarum sit causa causarum, consentaneum est, ut homines eorum originem illi acceptam referant.”
English
“Since God, the best and greatest, is the cause of all causes, it is fitting that men should attribute their origin to Him.”