Exhibition

Our new 2020-2021 exhibition is inspired by the most modern principles of zoological museology: the specimens are no longer "forced" into display cases, but organised according to systematic and/or zoogeographic criteria and displayed in barrier-free spaces.

The larger specimens were placed in the center of the hall above two large raised platforms shaped like islands. Some species typical of the African savannah are exhibited on a smaller island, the largest one hosts some of the most famous and magnificent species of the Artiodactyls order, and another one houses three of the eight species of the Ursidae family.

On three of the four corners of the hall, also on platforms, are exhibited: mammals and birds from the southern hemisphere; many specimens belonging to Carnivora order and some representatives of the Reptilia class.

In another corner the phylogeny of Primates and Hominids is reconstructed thanks to a display of several taxidermied speciments, skeletons and skull casts.

On the same side there is also a part of the German collection of illustrations on Zoology (Zoologische Wandtafeln), published by Theodor Fischer in Cassel and drawn at the end of the 19th century by R. Leuckart and H. Nitsche. The museum owns the complete series of these precious illustrations.

Particularly significant is the exhibition of Hummingbirds which, with 217 specimens, represent the richest Italian collection of these tiny birds, which are displayed in a seven meter long showcase and surrounded by numerous specimens of other exotic birds, all from the historic Auteri collection of the mid 19th century.

From the multimedia side, the museum is equipped with four touch-screen information totems and a large 70” screen used to display documentaries.

Along the perimeter of the first floor's walkway, a long series of glass cabinets houses several specimens of all the main Phyla of Invertebrates, while other cabinets contain important ornithological collections and some are currently used as storage for speciments awaiting to be displayed again.  In addition, the skull and some vertebrae of a sperm whale and two skeletons of runners are displayed in suspension, and, on suspended frames, there are numerous species of birds of prey and exotic birds: from the majestic Andean Condor, to the Griffon, Parrots and Paradisee. Various examples of monkeys from the old and new world are also exhibited.

Since June 2024, the museum has owned and exhibited, in the paleoanthropology section, the three-dimensional forensic reconstruction of the heads of 8 specimens belonging to the genera Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo created by the naturalist and paleoartist Simone Lo Savio.