The University of Pisa is one of the oldest universities in the world and it is also home to a Natural History Museum that is also one of the oldest museums in the world. It has a surprisingly impressive and rich collection that could compete with any natural history museum in the world. If you have found a vacation rental in Pisa and you are looking for somewhere to spend a couple of hours out of the sun and learning more about the natural world, this is a fun and educational spot that is perfect to do just that!
Located in the Pisa Charterhouse (the Carthusian Monastery of Calci), 10km from the city of Pisa in the comune of Calci, the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Museo Di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Pisa) was founded in 1596 by Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany. Originally composed of specimens sent from the Florentine palaces of the Medici and the Uffizi, in particular, it was somewhat fashioned on the German idea of a “wonderland”, meaning that it gathered together a variety of natural curiosities and oddities. This selection of minerals, zoo animals, skeletons, fossils, and more eventually expanded into a proper institution in its own right and became an early example of a natural history museum, which boasted a rich and impressive collection.
Located in the Pisa Charterhouse (the Carthusian Monastery of Calci), 10km from the city of Pisa in the comune of Calci, the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Museo Di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Pisa) was founded in 1596 by Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany. Originally composed of specimens sent from the Florentine palaces of the Medici and the Uffizi, in particular, it was somewhat fashioned on the German idea of a “wonderland”, meaning that it gathered together a variety of natural curiosities and oddities. This selection of minerals, zoo animals, skeletons, fossils, and more eventually expanded into a proper institution in its own right and became an early example of a natural history museum, which boasted a rich and impressive collection.
Today, the collection is made up of sections including an aquarium, a “Dinosaur Court” and gallery, paleontological specimens from the Monti Pisani, a history of the collections, Amphibians and Reptiles, Mammals, Birds, Palaeoanthropology, Evolution of Whales, a Mineral gallery, and Prehistory of Monti Pisani. All of this is organised systematically and thematically across 5000 square meters of rooms and galleries over three floors. Highlights include the massive and impressive whale skeletons, the dinosaur skeletons, and the Aquarium Gallery, which is the largest freshwater aquarium in Italy.
For an excellent day out that everyone in your party – no matter their age or inclination – can enjoy, head to this little gem as you explore Pisa.
For an excellent day out that everyone in your party – no matter their age or inclination – can enjoy, head to this little gem as you explore Pisa.
Photo credits:
Picture 1: Notafly / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Notafly / CC BY-SA 3.0
Picture 1: Notafly / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Notafly / CC BY-SA 3.0
