Musei Scientifici di Palazzo Paccaroni

Why it matters

Palazzo Paccaroni in Fermo houses collections devoted to polar exploration and ornithology. The Museo Polare Silvio Zavatti preserves objects and documents associated with Arctic and Antarctic exploration. The Museo di Scienze Naturali Tommaso Salvadori presents material related to the ornithological work of the nineteenth-century scholar.

What to notice

The polar collection includes objects associated with Arctic cultures, including a traditional Nenets garment known as the Spirito della luna and a dance mask from Greenland. Documents and instruments reflect twentieth-century polar research. The natural-science collection presents birds and material associated with Salvadori's classification work. Palazzo Paccaroni's frescoed ceilings provide a historic setting for these scientific collections.

Context and history

Silvio Zavatti founded the Italian Institute of Polar Geography and the journal Il Polo. His museum preserves artefacts, documents and testimonies related to polar exploration. The collections of Tommaso Salvadori connect Fermo with the development of nineteenth-century ornithology. The two museums bring the histories of exploration and natural science together within one historic residence.