Il viaggio nella formazione del medico: l’ultima lezione di Bernardino Ramazzini

This essay examines Bernardino Ramazzini’s Sixteenth Oration (1633–1714), delivered in Padua in November 1714, shortly before his death. Long overshadowed by his more renowned works, such as the De Morbis Artificum (1700), this text stands as a genuine legacy from the physician of Carpi to future generations of medical practitioners. Ramazzini structures his oration around the metaphor of life as a journey and invites young physicians to regard both physical and intellectual travel as an indispensable component of their education. His originality lies in presenting travel not merely as an opportunity but as a pedagogical tool and a moral obligation for every physician, aimed at enhancing both personal knowledge and collective health. Through a detailed analysis of the oration, the essay shows how Ramazzini urged his students, through travel, to build academic networks, observe nature firsthand, listen to the “living voice”of masters, and integrate theoretical and empirical knowledge. The Sixteenth Oration is also contextualized within the broader medical tradition that recognized travel as a fundamental means of acquiring knowledge, citing figures such as Galen, Vesalius, Girolamo Fracastoro, Prospero Alpini, Thomas Bartholin, and Guy Patin. Ramazzini himself, who from an early age moved between Carpi, Parma, Rome, the Duchy of Castro, Modena, and finally Padua, found in his experiences across diverse geographical and cultural environments a crucial element of his professional and intellectual growth. Finally, the essay emphasizes the enduring relevance of Ramazzini’s message: in an age of globalization and international academic mobility programs, travel continues to serve as a vital instrument for the critical and professional development of future physicians. The Sixteenth Oration offers an original and visionary reflection on medical education, placing direct experience and intercultural engagement at the core of the educational journey.