Museo Ornitologico Scanagatta

The Luigi Scanagatta Civic Museum of Ornithology and Natural Sciences in Varenna preserves more than 800 bird and mammal specimens, alongside a collection of land and freshwater shells. The holdings were assembled by local schoolteacher Luigi Scanagatta.

Why it matters

The collection brings the natural history of the Lake Como area into a civic museum in a village better known for its historic villas. The municipal portal describes the bird and mammal specimens as having scientific and cultural value and identifies the malacological collection as particularly rare. The museum continues to develop its collections through collaborations with the University of Eastern Piedmont and C.R.O.S. Varenna.

What to notice

The lower floor presents habitats from the lakeshore and plains to mountain environments around the Grigna, including a section on local predators. The upper floor turns to bird biology, including diet, plumage and migration, before presenting the collection of land and freshwater shells. Labels are provided in Italian and English. The historical specimens reflect the mid-twentieth-century teaching collection assembled by a single naturalist.

Context and history

Luigi Scanagatta, a Varenna schoolteacher interested in ornithology, malacology and botany, assembled the collection. It opened to the public in 1962 through an agreement with the local Pro Loco and its president Ugo Maloberti. In 1981 it became the Museo Civico di Ornitologia e di Scienze Naturali. Collaboration with the University of Eastern Piedmont and C.R.O.S. Varenna has supported the museum’s continuing scientific activity.