Tuscany is famously a destination for art-lovers and a hub of extraordinary art works, galleries, museums, churches stuffed with incredible pieces of art, public statuary and sculpted fountains, astounding architectural gems and much more besides. Much of this can be traced back to the remarkable outpouring of world-famous artistic talents throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and art movements from the following centuries such as Mannerism, Impressionism, and more as well as lingering remainders of the ancient Romans. However, though there may be fewer examples with names as famous as Giotto, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, and Caravaggio (to name but a small selection), Tuscany has also produced some incredibly famous scientists and has been a major hub of scientific discovery throughout the centuries. A vacation rental in Tuscany is, therefore, ideal for any science enthusiasts looking to learn more about both the world around them and above them!
Da Vinci himself was not just an artist but an inspired inventor and engineer and, of course, most of us know the incredibly famous tale of how Galileo was imprisoned for his assertion that the earth orbits the sun and about his many other earth-shattering and impossibly influential and important scientific discoveries. With these massive claims to fame and a whole host of other scientific discoveries, incredible scientific minds, brilliant research facilities, celebrated science departments in universities, and more, it is no surprise that Tuscany is also a key destination for those interested in science and the history of scientific research and discovery. There are many different brilliant science museums throughout the region (including the Galileo Museum in Florence and several Da Vinci museums) that are worth exploring but, if your interests lie in the stars and the cosmos then the Museum of Planetary Sciences (Museo di Scienze Planetarie) in Prato is a must-see, particularly for those who have found a luxury villa in Florence or a Tuscany villa and are spending time in the area around Prato.
Designed to be both educational and to be interesting and accessible to all, the Museum of Planetary Sciences in Prato aims to teach us all about the wonders of the universe in an engaging and compelling manner. This is achieved by the special route that has been carefully planned and considered through the museum for visitors. Winding through different thematic rooms, they make use of multimedia resources including images, short films, models, and different interactive stations to keep everyone engaged.
In addition to this well thought-out and designed museum space and experience, the institution is further enriched by the fact that it is home to a collection of some rather fascinating celestial artefacts: some 100 impactites (these are the new products or modified objects such as glass and different kinds of rocks that can be created when a large enough meteorite hits the earth and there is enough force to transform the pre-existing materials at a site such as sand) and meteorites. These objects were retrieved during expeditions all over the world and to the likes of deserts in Libya, Mauritania, Algeria, and Egypt that were organised by the foundation that runs the Museum of Planetary Sciences, the Prato Research Foundation. Some other pieces were also collected through the careful purchasing of single pieces and entire lots from different merchants and salespeople by the meticulous staff of the foundation. Among this extraordinary selection of samples, however, there is one particularly exceptional and stand-out example on display: the massive metal Nantan meteorite, which is the largest meteorite in Italy and weighs over a whopping 272kg.
There is also a very rich mineral collection, with examples from all throughout the region of Tuscany from the Apuan Alps to Elba, of some 4,500 pieces, though only about 130 of which are ever on display at any given time. The stunning stand-out among this selection of the museum’s collection has to be the remarkable and gorgeous giant topaz. Finally, there is the unique and intriguing, “quadrisphere,” a part of the museum in which there is a multi-screen show telling of the events of the forming of the Universe and Solar System and the origins of life on Earth that makes the most of a complex system of mirrors to produce a rather extraordinary show.
First opened to the public back in 2005, the Museum of Planetary Sciences is housed in a vast and excellent space in what was once a barracks for firemen and is today part of the complex of the ParSec Foundation - Science and Culture Park. Offering a truly fascinating insight into our world and our universe, the museum really does make for an ideal day out for those inquisitive minds among your party during a holiday in Tuscany and while you enjoy a stay in a perfect vacation rental in Florence!
Museum of Planetary Sciences
Via Galcianese, 20/H - 59100 Prato
info@museoscienzeplanetarie.eu
0574 447777
Opening hours:
From September to May:
From Tuesday to Saturday 9.00 - 13.00 and 15.00 - 18.30;
Sunday 10.00 - 12.30 and 15.00 - 19.00.
Closed on Mondays.
Summer opening hours:
From June 15 to June 30
From Tuesday to Friday: 9.30 - 12.30; 16.00 - 18.30
Saturday and Sunday: 16.00 - 19.00
July:
From Tuesday to Friday: 9.30 - 12.30
Saturday and Sunday: 16.00 - 19.00
The museum is closed right through August.
Tickets:
Full rate, €5.
Reduced rates (students and over 65s) €2.50, (for families) parents €4, children €2, (for “grandparents and grandchildren") €1.50 per person.
Free entrance for children under 6.
