Florence City of Science

Do you think Florence is only a city of Art? Well, actually no… it is also an amazing city of Science! There are many science museums in town: zoology, astronomy, mathematics and more! That's perfect for science lovers of all ages.

First and for all we talk about the Museum of Natural History with its 4 centuries of history and 10 millions of specimens. One of its most famous section is “La Specola”, founded in 1775, it is the oldest science museum of Europe, boasting an amazing collection of wax anatomical models, made between the 17th and 19th centuries, and an amazing and very representative range of animal specimens.

Just a few minutes far from the Academy Gallery it is possible to visit the Geology and Palaeontology section of the Natural History Museum, perfect for children who love prehistory! This section contains paleontological specimens of the utmost importance: invertebrates, vertebrates and various mammals. In the same building there’s also the Mineralogy and Lithology Museum, containing around 50,000 items.

Nearby there’s the ancient Botanical Garden “Il Giardino dei Semplici” where it is possible to admire species of plants from all over the world. Some are over a hundred years old, like the cycads and the palms, some other species, medicinal, carnivorous and aquatics plants, have been recently added or enriched.

Another amazing place is the Planetarium of the Science and Technique Foundation, ideal for astronomy enthusiasts and for all those who want to learn more about celestial phenomena.

Moving towards Duomo square, we find the Anthropology and Ethnology Museum, which houses collections of works of art and crafts deriving from various regions of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

If we talk about Science we can’t forget to mention Galileo Galilei and his museum, which is in Piazza dei Giudici, next to the Uffizi Gallery. It is a place where everybody can experience and play with science: you can find out how a lightning rod works, discover levers and barometers, measure space and be hypnotized by optical phenomena. All the items displayed here were collected by the Medici and Lorena families; of utmost importance are Galileo Galilei’s original telescopes and writings.