The La Specola Natural Museum in Florence has reopened. All You Need To Know

The La Specola Museum in Florence reopened its doors last February: here you will find nature, human ingenuity and art, after five years of restoration work.

Nestled among the countless "must-see" places in Florence, the Museum of Natural History, otherwise known as La Specola, must be included in the list, also because of its singularity compared to any other historical site. 

Not an attraction for the picky, the first public Cabinet of Curiosities ( https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wunderkammer ) turned museum, this gem features a rich display of bizarre zoological taxidermy and an intense selection of anatomical wax works dating back to the 17th century.

THE HISTORY OF THE SPECOLA

In addition to their opulent collection of artistic treasures, the Medici family ( https://www.itstuscany.com/it/i-toscani-che-hanno-fatto-la-storia-lorenzo-de-medici/ ) was also an avid collector of natural treasures: generations amassed a wide range of fossils, animals, minerals, and exotic plants. In 1775, ready to share their unique objects with the people of Florence, these precious possessions were moved to a building in today's Via La Pira: this building became known as La Specola. 

Cabinets of Curiosity

The collections of random objects were called " Wunderkammer ", which means Cabinet of Curiosities in German. These cabinets contained objects belonging to natural history, geology, ethnography, archaeology, religious or historical relics, works of art, and antiquities. 

The cabinets themselves were often huge and embellished with mother-of-pearl inlays, elaborate paintings, and gilded mirrors. The mirrors that served as the background of the cabinet made even the smallest collection seem much larger.

The La Specola museum was the first public museum in Europe and, until the nineteenth century, the only science museum created specifically for the public: it was a truly avant-garde place for the time, with opening hours, guides and caretakers.

Even today, the anatomical wax collection is considered one of the largest and best known in the world.

WHAT WILL YOU FIND AT LA SPECOLA?

There are two main parts: the zoology section (distributed in 24 rooms) and the anatomical waxes section (arranged in 10 rooms).

1. The zoology section presents ancient and more recently acquired specimens of animals preserved over the centuries through the taxidermy process. One of the most famous is the hippopotamus that was supposedly given to the Grand Duke in the second half of the seventeenth century and lived for a short time in the Boboli Gardens. ( https://www.itstuscany.com/it/il-giardino-di-boboli-a-firenze/ )

2. The wax collection, which has always been the flagship, really sets the museum apart from the others. 

Created as a resource for medical students to reveal what lies beneath the human body without having to look directly at a corpse. It was a big step forward for the study of human anatomy because obviously at the time there was no modern temperature control to prevent bodies from decomposing quickly and most people at this time did not want bodies to be donated to science as they considered this type of dissection as an affront to their dignity.

Clemente Michelangelo Susini 

The most famous of all the candle modellers was Clemente Michelangelo Susini (https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clemente_Susini ). 

Unlike other waxes, Susini's waxes were not only realistic but beautiful: like living works of art. The models are reclining in artistic poses, as if they were taken from a Renaissance painting: many praised him for the beauty he gave to the most repulsive things. 

His anatomical Venus is the most popular subject and was created for the study of obstetrics: the model is composed of removable cavities that reveal the internal organs. The stomach can be opened to reveal the fetus inside the pregnant mother, allowing for studies and conjecture,  thus giving the opportunity to find solutions to save both mother and baby.

The La Specola museum, in its renovated location, has reopened with a new bookshop: the redevelopment intervention involved a total of 2,280 square meters and was carried out with the contribution of the Tuscany  Region and the University of Florence.