Kosmos – Museo di Storia Naturale dell’Università di Pavia

Among Pavia's great cultural riches, one is undoubtedly the Natural History Museum of the University of Pavia, founded as part of the Habsburg reforms in 1771. It immediately became one of the major centres of scientific research in Europe. On 21 September 2019, Kosmos, the Museum of Natural History in its new modern and interactive guise, is born. Kosmos, a word meaning 'order' in Greek, is intended to be a modern and exciting exploration of the universe, of what man has created, of the natural world and, at the same time, a journey through the history of science. The refurbished layout covers an area of 1400 square metres in eleven permanent rooms and a large semicircular space for temporary exhibitions. The first three rooms are dedicated to the founder Lazzaro Spallanzani. The second part of the exhibition is inspired by the development of fundamental concepts for the natural sciences through the figures of Carlo Linneo (cataloguing nature), Alexander von Humboldt (biogeography), Georges Cuvier (palaeontology) and Charles Darwin (evolution). It continues with the room on palaeontology and the great extinctions and concludes with references to highly topical issues such as the preservation of biodiversity and the future of the planet. In addition to the permanent collection, Kosmos offers a visit - by appointment only - to the repositories that house a large part of the vertebrate zoology and comparative anatomy collections.
As services, the Museum offers guided tours, workshops and activities not only for schools and families, but also for users with disabilities, thanks to the collaboration with the company ADMaiora.
Kosmos presents a wide range of temporary exhibitions and cultural events throughout the year.