Museo Naturalistico 'Maurizio Locati'

The Maurizio Locati' Naturalistic Museum in Lama dei Peligni presents the wildlife and archaeology of the Majella. Its displays focus on the Abruzzo chamois and the long history of human life in the mountain region.

Why it matters

The museum links wildlife conservation with the archaeological record of the Majella. Named for zoologist Maurizio Locati, it recalls efforts to reintroduce the Abruzzo chamois to the massif and interpret its habitat.

What to notice

The natural history displays introduce the chamois, its physical traits and high-mountain habitat. A separate archaeological section presents material from Lama dei Peligni and nearby communities, from prehistory through the Middle Ages. Its holdings include tools, vessels, coins, funerary objects and a cast of the roughly seven-thousand-year-old “Uomo della Majella.”

Context and history

The museum was established in 1995 alongside the Giardino Botanico Michele Tenore as part of the park's network of scientific and educational institutions. The archaeological collection is dedicated to scholar Francesco Verlengia. The museum and garden together present the Majella as both an ecological habitat and a landscape shaped by human communities over millennia.