Museum of Zoology, Bologna
The Museum of Zoology (Collezione di Zoologia) is part of the university museum system called Alma Mater Studiorum of the famous University of Bologna. Its exhibitions include models of numerous species of animals from all over the world collected during past centuries by avid collectors. The museum is considered to be one of the most important once in Italy in terms of its size and diversity in pieces displayed inside.
History of the museum
The origins of the museum date back to the unification of Italy, as it was founded in 1860 by order of the famous politician and physician Carlo Farini. It was the result of putting together several private collections of the 16th–18th centuries, that once belonged to the Aldrovandi, Cospi, and Marsili families. These compilations were already kept in the University of Bologna; later they had new life breathed into them after the department of natural history was divided into three parts in 1862: mineralogy, geology, and zoology. As a result, the collections grew significantly. In 1933 the Institute of Zoology of the University of Bologna began to house the museum. In the last decades of the 20th century, the museum's collections were fundamentally reorganized.
Museum’s exhibition
The museum collection consists of over 8000 exhibits and is located on two floors. A permanent exhibition that is filled with dioramas explores specific themes: national parks and species that are allowed to be hunted as well as extinct or endangered animals.
On the ground floor, there is an ornithological collection and African trophies of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as lions, ostriches, and rhinoceroses. Two dioramas are presented here as well created after visiting the Majella National Park and Gran Paradiso National Park. They also consist of a series of thematic sections. Those which are dedicated to hunting are especially interesting. These dioramas tell about methods of hunting, tracking, leather manufacturing, and other related activities.
On the first floor, there are entomological and malacological collections. The section that illustrates the progress of organizational complexity in various groups of animals is just as important as any other part.
How to get
The museum is located in the historical center, in the middle of the old and majestic complex of the University of Bologna, on Via Francesco Selmi, 3. In the same building, there is the Anthropology Museum as well as the Palazzo Poggi Museum and Museum of Astronomical Observatory which are situated a little further. All of them also belong to the same university. The nearest bus stop is Porta San Donato (14, 20, 25, 28, 36, 89, 93, 99, 106, 211, 243, 301, 916).
Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 13:00, Saturday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00. From June to August, from Monday to Friday, the museum is open from 10:00 to 13:00. Contact number for more information and booking: (+39) 051 2094960.
Admission: free. A guided tour costs 2 euros per adult and 1 euro per a person under 18. Extra educational material costs 5 euros.
