Zoologia La Specola - wax anatomical models

The Museum of Zoology and Natural History, best known as La Specola, is an eclectic natural history museum in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

, central

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, located next to the

Pitti Palace The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...

. The name '' Specola'' means

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

, a reference to the astronomical observatory founded there in 1790. It now forms part of the

Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze The Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze is a natural history museum in 6 major collections, located in Florence, Italy. It is part of the University of Florence. Museum collections are open mornings except Wednesday, and all day Saturday; an adm ...

. This museum is part of what are now six different collections at four different sites for the

History

The museum has deep ties with history; parts of the collection can be traced back to the

Medici Family The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Muge ...

. It is known for its collection of

wax anatomical model A wax sculpture is a depiction made using a waxy substance. Often these are effigies, usually of a notable individual, but there are also death masks and scenes with many figures, mostly in relief. The properties of beeswax make it an excell ...

s from the 18th century. It is the oldest scientific Museum of Europe. This museum is located in the former Palazzo Torrigani at Via Romana 17, near the

. The Imperial Regio Museo di Fisica e Storia Naturale (The Imperial-Royal Museum for Physics and Natural History) was founded in 1771 by Grand Duke Peter Leopold to publicly display the large collection of natural curiosities such as

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s, animals, minerals and exotic plants acquired by several generations of the Medici. At the time of its opening, and for the first years of the 19th century, it was the only scientific museum or '' Wunderkammer'' of its kind specifically created for the public to view. It opened on 21 February 1775 to the general public.''Encyclopaedia Anatomica: Museo La Specola Florence.'' Cologne:

Taschen Taschen is a luxury art book publisher founded in 1980 by Benedikt Taschen in Cologne, Germany. As of January 2017, Taschen is co-managed by Benedikt and his eldest daughter, Marlene Taschen. History The company began as Taschen Comics, pu ...

, 2004. Today the museum spans 34 rooms and contains not only zoological subjects, such as a stuffed

hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...

(a 17th-century Medici pet, which once lived in the

Boboli Gardens The Boboli Gardens ( it, Giardino di Boboli) is a historical park of the city of Florence that was opened to the public in 1766. Originally designed for the Medici, it represents one of the first and most important examples of the Italian garden, ...

), but also a collection of

anatomical Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having it ...

waxes (including those by

Gaetano Giulio Zumbo Gaetano Giulio Zumbo (1656–1701) was an Italian sculptor in wax or wax modeller of the Baroque era. His primary talents were not those generally considered as artistic but devoted to the creation of scientific models that were highly regarded ...

and

Clemente Susini Clemente Michelangelo Susini (1754–1814) was an Italian sculptor who became renowned for his wax anatomical models, vividly and accurately depicting partly dissected corpses. These models were praised by both doctors and artists. Biography C ...

), an art developed in Florence in the 17th century for the purpose of teaching

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

. This collection is very famous worldwide for the incredible accuracy and realism of the details, copied from real corpses. Also in ''La Specola'' on display are scientific and medical instruments. Parts of the museum are decorated with frescoes and

pietra dura ''Pietra dura'' () or ''pietre dure'' () ( see below), called parchin kari or parchinkari ( fa, ) in the Indian Subcontinent, is a term for the inlay technique of using cut and fitted, highly polished colored stones to create images. It is c ...

representing some of the principal Italian scientific achievements from the Renaissance to the late 18th century. The collections include *Entomological collections belonging to: **

Camillo Rondani Camillo Rondani (21 November 1808 – 17 September 1879) was an Italian entomologist noted for his studies of Diptera. Early life, family and education Camillo Rondani was born in Parma when the city was part of the French Empire Napoleon ...

, specimens of

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

and

Hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...

Ruggero Verity Ruggero Verity or Roger Verity (20 May 1883 – 4 March 1959) was an Anglo-Italian entomologist who specialised in butterflies and a physician. Life Roger Verity was born in Florence on 20 May 1883, the elder son of Richard Henry Manners Verity ...

, specimens of

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

Pietro Stefanelli Pietro Stefanelli (30 July 1835, Florence – 23 December 1919, Florence) was an Italian Professor of Entomology. mainly interested in Lepidoptera and Odonata.He was a founding member of the Italian Entomological Society. He was also instrumenta ...

, specimens of

Victor Antoine Signoret Victor Antoine Signoret (6 April 1816, Paris – 3 April 1889, Paris) was a French pharmacologist, physician and entomologist. In 1845 Signoret gained his doctorate in pharmacology at the University of Paris. His thesis was entitled ''De l'Ars ...

, specimen of

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...

Adolfo Targioni Tozzetti Adolfo Targioni Tozzetti (13 February 1823 in Florence – 18 September 1902) was an Italian entomologist who specialised in Sternorrhyncha. He was Professor of Botany and Zoology in Florence, associated with Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze wh ...

Fernandino Maria Piccioli Ferdinando Maria Piccioli (26 July 1821 – 14 February 1900) was an Italian entomologist. He specialised in Hymenoptera and Coleoptera. Born at San Felice, Piccioli was an “Assistant” at the Stazione di Entomologia Agraria in Florence. H ...

** Waldemar Fuchs, specimens of

Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

** Pietro Bargagli, specimens of

Giacomo Damiani Giacomo Damiani (August 1871, Portoferraio – 1944) was an Italian ichthyologist and ornithologist Born into a wealthy family on Elba island, Giacomo Damiani graduated from the University of Genoa and became a teacher of Natural Sciences in sec ...

, ornithological collections * Skeleton of the famous

Hansken __NOTOC__ Hansken (1630 – Florence, 9 November 1655) was a female elephant that became famous in early 17th-century Europe. She toured many countries, demonstrating circus tricks, and influenced many artists including Stefano della Bella, ...

the elephant (1630 – Florence, 9 November 1655)

References

External links

Official Site
{{authority control 1771 establishments in Italy Museums established in 1771 Museums in Florence Natural history museums in Italy Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor

History

References

Further reading

External links