Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria

The Giacomo Doria Natural History Museum preserves collections assembled through exploration, donation and scientific study. Its Genoese history connects zoological research with the networks of a port city.

Why it matters

The municipality established the museum in 1867 around Doria's donation. His collecting in Persia and Borneo, including work alongside Odoardo Beccari, formed part of a wider process through which specimens and knowledge moved between distant regions and European institutions.

What to notice

The collections span animals, fossils, plants and minerals. Notable zoological specimens include a thylacine and a fin-whale skeleton, representing very different aspects of mammalian life. These objects also preserve the history of scientific preparation, classification and display.

Context and history

Collections associated with Lorenzo Pareto and Prince Odone di Savoia contributed to the early institution. The museum's Annali began publication in 1870, and subsequent expeditions enlarged its holdings. Research and the care of specimens have remained central to the institution's identity alongside its exhibition history.