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THE CORRECT ANSWER: Miguel Servetus

Miguel Servetus, a 16th-century Spanish physician and theologian, holds a unique place in the history of science and ideas. In his theological work Christianismi Restitutio, published clandestinely in 1553, he inserted an innovative description of small circulation, called pulmonary circulation. He explains with great precision how blood passes from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs to purify and change color before returning to the left atrium. This pioneering discovery directly challenged the anatomical dogmas inherited from the Greek physician Galen, undisputed for more than a millennium. However, his non-conformist theological views on the Trinity attracted the ire of Catholic and Protestant religious authorities. Pursued by the Inquisition, he took refuge in Geneva where he was arrested, tried and then burned alive under the magisterium of John Calvin the same year, making him a martyr for freedom of thought.