It was 1801 when Francesco Boi, professor of human anatomy at the University of Cagliari, was granted the permission to take a sabbatical period in mainland Italy in order to learn about the latest discoveries in surgery. Based on Boi's dissections, artist Clemente Susini created his wax models, which are still today a very realistic representation of parts of the human body. The collection got to Cagliari after it was bought by King Carlo Felice, who wanted to have it on display in his palace as a marvel of those times.