I am an Associate Professor of Human Anatomy at the University of Florence and have been promoted to Full Professor since 2023. For more than twenty-five years, I have devoted myself to the study and teaching of Human Anatomy through intensive cadaveric dissection.

I have a deep and genuine fascination for the Anatomy of the face. Every time I perform a dissection, I am struck by the extraordinary complexity and beauty of its layered architecture — the delicate interplay between skin, fat compartments, retaining ligaments, mimetic muscles, vessels, and nerves. Understanding this intricate landscape remains one of the greatest sources of scientific and aesthetic inspiration in my career.

Together with the legendary anatomical photographer Carlo Benedini, I co-authored the book Anatomia Fotografica. Over the years, I have personally performed more than 9,000 hours of advanced cadaver dissection, with a particular focus on the head, neck, and face — regions I consider among the most clinically relevant and visually captivating in the entire human body.

In this photographic gallery, I share a selection of my most significant facial dissections. These images reflect my commitment to precision, clarity, and respect for anatomical truth, with particular attention to the structures fundamental to modern aesthetic medicine, facial rejuvenation, and advanced surgical techniques.

I hope these photographs convey not only scientific accuracy but also the same passion and wonder I feel every time I explore the living Anatomy of the human face.

• This page contains my complete Curriculum Vitae and the full list of my scientific publications.
• This page lists the books on Anatomy that I have authored or co-authored

• Scientific Publications in Aesthetic Medicine

Fagni, N., Livi, L., Bucciarelli, F., Giardino, F.R., Cuomo, R., Paternostro, F., Belviso, I., & Branca, J.J.V. (2026). The Superior Trajectory of the Lingual Artery over the Hypoglossal Nerve: A Morphological Case Report and Focused Review of Neurovascular Inversion in the Carotid Triangle. Journal of Vascular Diseases, 5(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.3390/jvd5010004

Fagni, N., Valli, L., Nittari, G., Procelli, G., Branca, J.J.V., Cuomo, R., Mandalà, M., Bertelli, E., Cotofana, S., & Paternostro, F. (2025). Superficial Temporal Artery: Anatomical Variation and Its Clinical Significance. Journal of Vascular Diseases, 4(2), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/jvd4020014

Paternostro, F., Hong, J., Zhu, S., Green, J. B., Milisavljevic, M., Cotofana, M. V., Alfertshofer, M., Hendrickx, S. B., & Cotofana, S. (2024). Simulating Upper Eyelid Ptosis During Neuromodulator Injections — An Exploratory Injection and Dissection Study. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.16631

Bernardini, F., Skippen, B., Cetto, R., Calomeni, M., Cotofana, S., Urso, S., Paternostro, F., & Hartstein, M. (2024). Bridging the Gap Rather Than Filling the Entire Valley — Anatomic Insights When Treating the Medial Infraorbital Region. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.16582

Idone, F., Bolletta, E., Piedimonte, A., & Paternostro, F. (2020). Temporal Fossa Atrophy in Aesthetic Medicine: Anatomy, Classification, and Treatment. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, 8(10), e3169. https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000003169

• Instagram “Anatomia per Tutti“
• E mail: ferdy.paternostro@gmail.com
• Phone number: +39 347 5949679
• Credits
  All the cadaveric dissections presented in this gallery were performed at the ICLO Teaching and Research Center in Verona, Italy. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to ICLO Verona and its entire team for their outstanding support, professionalism, and the exceptional facility that enables the highest standards of anatomical education and research.