[3] Around the year 1487, Andrea Alpago moved to the city of Damascus in Syria in order to work as physician to the consulate of Republic of Venice.
This friendship strongly influenced Alpago's career as Ibn al-Makkī introduced him to the work of Avicenna, a Persian physician, astronomer, and philosopher.
[5] During this time, Alpago became very close with the Arabic physicians, it is thought he sympathized with the Safavid dynasty due to their struggles with the Ottomans.
[5] Upon his return to Venice, Alpago was appointed professor of medicine in Padua in northeastern Italy in September 1521,[5] confirmed by the Venetian senate.
Andrea Alpago's edition and supplements to Gerard of Cremona's translation was widely read in European medical circles during the 16th century.
In addition to The Cannon of Medicine, Andrea Alpago's translation of Avicenna's philosophical work was historic for the time.
Alpago explained major points of Avicenna's work on philosophy and Islam while occasionally relating it back to Christianity.