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 ...
, 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 ...
, 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. ...
, a reference to the astronomical observatory founded there in 1790. It now forms part of the
Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze. This museum is part of what are now six different collections at four different sites for the
Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze.
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 Mug ...
. 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
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 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, ...
, 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 exta ...
(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 pr ...
. 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 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 of insects, comprising the 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 parasitic.
Females typic ...
**
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 (1 ...
, specimens of
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...
**
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 instrumental ...
, specimens of
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...
**
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'Arse ...
, specimen of
Hemiptera
Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from to arou ...
**
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 w ...
**
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. He w ...
**
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 describe ...
**
Pietro Bargagli, 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 describe ...
*
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 secon ...
, 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
Further reading
*
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