The Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo (or the Natural History Museum of the Mediterranean) is a long-standing beloved gem in the seaside city of Livorno in Tuscany that is a favourite of school groups and families. However, if you have found a vacation rental in Livorno and are planning on spending time in the area, it makes for an interesting visit for tourists too and, well, anyone, particularly those travelling with kids. Just set aside a couple of hours and come explore the models of various creatures, the dioramas, the interactive features, the impressive animal skeletons and much more besides…
Originally established in 1929, when famous naturalists from Livorno and the surrounding area collected lots of scientific equipment that had previously been part of the Cabinet of Natural History at the Technical Institute of Amerigo Vespucci. It was these objects that became the original basis of the collection of the museum. In 1944, bombing destroyed the museum and it was moved to the municipal aquarium and reopened there in 1952. The museum was moved once more in 1980 to a restored historic property in town, the Villa Henderson, and that is where it remains to this day.
Originally established in 1929, when famous naturalists from Livorno and the surrounding area collected lots of scientific equipment that had previously been part of the Cabinet of Natural History at the Technical Institute of Amerigo Vespucci. It was these objects that became the original basis of the collection of the museum. In 1944, bombing destroyed the museum and it was moved to the municipal aquarium and reopened there in 1952. The museum was moved once more in 1980 to a restored historic property in town, the Villa Henderson, and that is where it remains to this day.
Luckily, Villa Henderson is set amongst Villa Fabbricotti, Villa Lloyd, Villa Mimbelli and The Mascagni Terrace (where the aquarium is), which makes visiting the various cultural institutions housed inside these beautiful buildings easier and has created a revitalised cultural quarter in this part of the city. A visit to both the Natural History Museum of the Mediterranean and the Livorno Aquarium is both readily doable and an ideal situation for those visiting who want to get a full picture of the flora, fauna, and marine life of Tuscany.
The beautiful Villa Henderson is an 18th century gem that originally was home to one Antonio Orlandi. It was then purchased by the Filippi family in 1762 and then the Guebhards, the Webb James family, and the Bracchini family before coming into the hands of George Henderson, for whom it remains named to this day. After Henderson’s death in 1934 the building and the large park that was attached to the property, was handed over to the provincial administration of Livorno. Said park, a later 18th century English style garden is one of the many reasons to pay a visit to the museum today and boast lots of tree species, a fountain, a small stone cave, various other types of flora and a botanic garden.
The beautiful Villa Henderson is an 18th century gem that originally was home to one Antonio Orlandi. It was then purchased by the Filippi family in 1762 and then the Guebhards, the Webb James family, and the Bracchini family before coming into the hands of George Henderson, for whom it remains named to this day. After Henderson’s death in 1934 the building and the large park that was attached to the property, was handed over to the provincial administration of Livorno. Said park, a later 18th century English style garden is one of the many reasons to pay a visit to the museum today and boast lots of tree species, a fountain, a small stone cave, various other types of flora and a botanic garden.
Villa Henderson, as the Natural History Museum of the Mediterranean of Livorno, plays host to the exhibits, a graphics rooms, a lab, a library, and a reading room as it is not only a cultural institution that engages with the public but also an active research centre in the preservation and conservation of the natural bounty of Livorno as well as a centre of scientific culture. However, that engagement with, and education of, the general public is the core purpose of the museum and the outreach and educational program is well executed. There are various fascinating exhibition spaces: the Sea Room with its display of Mediterranean skeletons (such as the star of the show, a 20m-long whale skeleton called Annie) and dioramas of sea beds; the Invertebrates Room with its specimens of terrestrial and marine invertebrates; the Mankind Room with its illustration of the physical and cultural evolution of the species; the bug and mineral specimens; the models and taxidermied examples of various animal species; and the temporary thematic exhibitions. While at the museum, be sure to also head to the botanic garden and the Planetarium (when open and possible), to get the full experience that the institute has to offer!
If you have found a vacation rental in Livorno and are planning a trip to this part of Tuscany and want to learn more about the area, make sure to visit the Natural History Museum.
Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo
Via Roma 234, 57127 Livorno
(+39) 0586-266711
If you have found a vacation rental in Livorno and are planning a trip to this part of Tuscany and want to learn more about the area, make sure to visit the Natural History Museum.
Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo
Via Roma 234, 57127 Livorno
(+39) 0586-266711
Photo credits
picture 1: Piergiuliano Chesi / CC BY 3.0
picture 1: Piergiuliano Chesi / CC BY 3.0