“Santorius and the foundation of experimental physiology” was the title of a meeting organized in October 2011 by the University of Padova to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the call of Santorius as chair of Medicina Teorica at the University in 1611. On the 6th of October of that year Santorius gave his inaugural lecture to the students of the Universitas Artistarum (University of Liberal Arts).