Natural History Museum - La Specola

La Specola, officially known as the Museum of Natural History in Florence, is one of the oldest and most fascinating scientific institutions in Europe. Founded in 1771 by Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Lorraine, La Specola is located in the Torrigiani Palace, near the Boboli Gardens. This museum is famous for its extensive collection of anatomical wax models, one of the largest in the world, and for its rich zoological collections. The origin of the name “Specola” comes from the astronomical observatory that has been an integral part of the museum since its foundation. Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo wanted to create a museum that was accessible to everyone, without distinctions of class or gender, anticipating by almost two centuries the modern concept of a public museum. This enlightened vision is reflected in the museum’s educational and outreach approach, which continues to be a reference point for scholars and enthusiasts. One of the most fascinating aspects of La Specola is its collection of anatomical wax models, mainly created in the 18th and 19th centuries. These models were created by wax sculptors like Clemente Susini, who worked under the direction of Felice Fontana, the museum’s first director. The wax models represent detailed parts of the human body, allowing scholars to study anatomy without the need for dissections on real bodies. This technique became essential in an era when dissection was limited and often frowned upon. The wax models are not only scientific tools, but also true works of art. The models are displayed in elegant wooden and glass cases, surrounded by preparatory drawings and anatomical studies. Among the most famous pieces are the so-called “Flayed Figures,” human figures without skin that accurately depict muscles, blood vessels, and internal organs. In addition to the wax models, La Specola boasts an extraordinary zoological collection. The first six rooms of the museum are dedicated to invertebrates, with specimens of sponges, mollusks, arthropods, and others. This is followed by rooms dedicated to reptiles, which include giant Galápagos tortoises and a mummified crocodile from ancient Egypt. The ornithological collection, spread across five rooms, presents an almost complete sample of Italian bird species. The section dedicated to mammals includes unique pieces such as a rare white rhinoceros and the Boboli hippopotamus, a specimen that lived in the Grand Duke’s gardens in the 18th century. Another point of interest is the Hall of Skeletons, open by appointment or on special occasions. Here, skeletons of numerous animal species are displayed, including a sperm whale and a fin whale. This hall offers a fascinating insight into the diversity of animal life through their skeletal structure. Throughout its history, La Specola has experienced periods of splendor and crisis. During the Napoleonic occupation, many works were transferred to Paris, although some ended up in Montpellier. With the return of the Lorraine family, the museum resumed its educational function, although in the following years the collections were dispersed in various Florentine palaces due to institutional reorganizations. Only in the 1970s, thanks to a renewed sensitivity to environmental issues, did the museum begin to regain its importance, culminating in the reunification of the collections under the auspices of the University of Florence in 1984. La Specola also houses the Galileo Tribune, a late neoclassical jewel commissioned by Grand Duke Leopoldo II for the third Congress of Italian Scientists in 1841. This tribune is a tribute to Galileo Galilei and contains paintings and statues that celebrate science.