La Specola

La Specola in Florence is one of the oldest scientific museums in Europe and today houses the zoological section of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Florence. It was founded in 1771 by Grand Duke Peter Leopold, who wanted to bring together the grand-ducal natural history collections and open them to the public. The museum takes its name from an observatory built in the 18th century that was used for astronomical and meteorological purposes. The building on Via Romana, not far from the Palazzo Pitti, holds collections that originally came from the Medici, the Uffizi, and the instruments of Galileo Galilei.

On the upper floors, you can marvel at the extensive zoological collection, which is spread across 22 rooms. Specimens of invertebrates, reptiles, fish, birds, and mammals are displayed here in original 18th- and 19th-century display cases, including an old hippopotamus specimen. On the ground floor you'll find a hall of skeletons, while the Tribuna di Galileo is located on the first floor. It preserves mementos of the famous scholar as well as the instruments of the Accademia del Cimento.

The best-known treasure of La Specola, however, is its collection of anatomical wax models, considered the most important of its kind. Around 1,400 exhibits made between the 17th and 19th centuries are shown in ten rooms. These detailed replicas of human bodies and organs were created on the basis of autopsies and are presented in the halls alongside watercolors of organs. Highlights also include small-scale wax scenes by Gaetano Zumbo that depict allegories of mortality.