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MUSEOLOGIA SCIENTIFICA nuova serie • 10: 88-93 • 2016 ISSN 1123-265X Museologia descrittiva e storica

The Zoology Museum of Padua University: a rediscovered historical heritage

Paola Nicolosi Museo di Zoologia, Università di Padova, Via Jappelli, 1/a. I-35121 Padova. E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT The Zoological Museum of the University of Padova was founded in the 18 th century thanks to the legacy of Antonio Vallisneri and donated by his son, Antonio, to the University. In the following century many acquisitions, donations and expeditions enriched the collections of the museum of valuable specimens. During the 20 th century, the Museum went through a period of decline due to the World Wars and the frequent changes of seat, up to its total closure at the end of the 1970 decade. Fortunately, the long and important history of this Museum had a happy ending. The building and the collections have been recently restored and exposed to the public. In 2014 the current setting was completed in time to celebrate ten years from its re-opening (2004-2014). The event was dedicated to professor Margherita Turchetto, who worked on the project of the new Museum since its beginning, always believing in the importance of museums for scientific knowledge.

Key words: zoological collections, University of Padova, historical specimens, new opening.

RIASSUNTO Il Museo di Zoologia dell’Università di Padova: un patrimonio storico ritrovato.

Il Museo di Zoologia dell’Università di Padova affonda le sue radici nel XVIII secolo grazie alla donazione della collezione privata di Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730) da parte del figlio. Come molti altri musei storici italiani, ha alternato periodi di splendore, in cui vennero acquisiti molti reperti, frutto di donazioni, spedizioni, acquisti, a periodi di abbandono delle collezioni. La sua lunga ed importante storia vanta però un finale fortunato dato che, in tempi recenti, le collezioni sono state restaurate e nuovamente esposte al pubblico. Nel 2014 è stato completato l’attuale allestimento e il decennale della riapertura è stato dedicato alla professoressa Margherita Turchetto che ha contribuito alla progettazione e ha sempre creduto nel ruolo fondamentale dei musei per la divulgazione scientifica.

Parole chiave: collezioni zoologiche, Università di Padova, reperti storici, nuova apertura.

INTRODUCTION and opened a position of curator as “trustee” of the Zoology museum of the University, a fundamental The Zoology museum of the University of Padova figure for the daily activities of recovery and (see web site 1) celebrated, in May 2014, the tenth promotion of the precious material of the ancient anniversary from the opening of the new exposition collections. rooms, in 2004, thanks to an outstanding financial A small group of professional worked since the support of the University. The old location, an second half of 1990s to restore the zoological ancient building located in the centre of Padova, did collections, in order to allow the new opening of the not permit the adequate preservation of the museum. The restored ancient location, should have specimens and their exploitation by students and been a temporary one, as there was a plan for a researchers. museum pole to join together all scientific collections At that time the professors in charge of the of the University, with particular reference to the collections (Margherita Turchetto and Sandra naturalistic ones (zoology, anthropology, mineralogy, Casellato) did their best to plan the recovery of the geology and paleontology). ancient specimens and to provide them a decorous location. Their aim was to use the same rooms where the ancient specimens were stored and restore both HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM the ancient collections and the beautiful location. The restoration of the historical museum seat began The University provided the first financial supports at the end of the last century. At the beginning, the

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Stefano Andrea Renier (1759-1830) succeeded Vallisneri junior as director of the Museum and bought most of the vertebrates preserved up to now (Gibin, 2008). Other relevant pieces of African fauna were a gift from the Italian consul in Egypt: Giuseppe Acerbi (1773-1846). Most of the invertebrates were acquired by Giovanni Canestrini (1835-1900) who enriched the museum with a relevant collection of mites, spiders, and shells, and with the specimens, he collected during an eventful campaign in the Sea of Sciacca, in Sicily (Canestrini & Canestrini, 1883). Most of the specimens of the museum have historical value. For this reason, we decided to arrange the exposition according to the figures that contributed to the constitution of the museum during the times. Besides the historical point of view, we selected some themes of relevance at the present days, such as preservation of the species, destruction of natural habitats, biodiversity reduction, allochthonous Fig. 1. The zoological collections before species introduction and other phenomena associated the restoration (photo P. Nicolosi). with the complex climate change of these times.

roof of the entire building was rebuilt, making all the THE MUSEUM TODAY attic available. In the largest room a loft was built, in The exposition is divided into four halls. We selected order to provide an internal storehouse for the for presentation those specimens having both the museum. highest historical value and the best conservation. Works inside the building began in 2001. The old Through the displayed pieces, we dealt with various metallic cabinets were discharged, as they were no themes, telling the stories of the most important longer useful for specimen conservation. The ancient scientists and collections, or peculiar stories of some wood display cases were preserved and later restored. of the animals specimens. As long as the restoration proceeded, specimens were The first hall is dedicated to the 18 th century and to moved from one room to the other, to avoid the founders of the museum (fig. 2): Antonio additional damage from relocating them in another Vallisneri father and son. Their naturalistic collection place (fig. 1). In 2002, the restoration of the entire was the subject of many different studies, that have floor of the building ended and the setting up of the been published after the death of Vallisneri father in exposition and the rearrangement of the ancient the “Opere Fisico-mediche” (Vallisneri, 1733). This collections began. hall tells the history of the common origin of this Aim of the new exposition was to tell the history of naturalistic museum with other of this University and the studies and researches performed since the 17 th exhibits zoological finds that were common in this century by many distinguished researchers, that led kind of exposition in the 18 th century. The causes of to the collection we can see today. death of the exposed animals are explained, as well The founder of the collection was Antonio Vallisneri as the different forms of preparation and conservation (1661-1730). He was professor of Medicine at the that can be used: naturalized or taxidermized animals, University of Padova between 1700 and 1730. After specimens in alcohol, bones, skeletons, skulls, shells, his death, his son, Antonio Vallisneri junior (1708- insects and so on. The most important specimen is 1777), donated the private collection to the the holotype of the leatherback turtle, Dermochelys University of Padova, giving rise to the original core coriacea (Vandelli, 1761) (Fretey & Bour, 1980). It is a of the Natural History Museum. The museum (Museo naturalized specimen, captured in the Tyrrhenian Sea Vallisneriano) was first located within the ancient and gifted to the University of Padova by the pope building of the University (Palazzo del Bo’). The Clemente XIII in 1760 (Nicolosi & Turchetto, 2008). exposition of Antonio Vallisneri junior was performed The second hall is dedicated to the 19 th century and according to a didactic criterion, as he had been the to the great donations made to the museum at that first Professor of Natural History of the University time. After the death of Vallisneri junior, the museum of Padova since 1734 (Casellato 1991; 1997; 2002; direction remained vacant for 30 years, until Stefano 2008). The museum stayed there until the second half Andrea Renier was charged of it in 1806. During his of the 19 th century. During this century, the museum direction, the museum acquired many specimens: received most of its donations and acquisitions. mainly shells and fishes from the Mediterranean Sea,

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this hall is the skeleton of the Indian elephant ( Elephas maximus ) killed by Austrian soldiers in Venice in 1819, during the carnival. Renier bought the dead animal to include it in the collection of the museum (Turchetto, 2004). The last two rooms are dedicated to the local fauna of North-eastern Italy. They were set up between 2009 and 2010 but completed in 2014 for the celebration of the ten years of the museum opening. In May 2014 the Department of Biology and the University Museum Centre (CAM, Centro di Ateneo per i Musei) organised a day to remember professor Margherita Turchetto, who dedicated more than 15 Fig. 2. New setting: the first hall of the Zoology years to the renovation and opening of the ‘new’ museum. The setting of these halls is different than Museum (photo P. Nicolosi). that of the former ones, both because of the themes and the graphics (fig. 4). but also rare or exotic species. This hall displays many In the smallest of these halls there are only two vertebrates of that time coming from the so called showcases exposing the regional fauna: one with “exotic countries” (fig. 3). Throughout these rare animals coming from the countryside and the specimens we can explain to visitors some interesting Euganean hills (group oh hills of volcanic origin, 30 subjects as the loss of biodiversity associated with the km from the town of Padova) and the other with degradation of natural environments, with the historical specimens from the Dolomites Alps. The introduction of allochthonous species and the most interesting specimens are the brown bear ( Ursus conflicts between these species and the autochthon arctos ), the wolf ( Canis lupus ) and the lynx ( Lynx lynx ), ones, and in general the content of this hall deals with all samples from the 19 th century. These animals were the threats of the extinction of many animal species chosen to discuss on problems connected with fauna and the actions people can undertake to preserve our management: the reintroduction of big carnivores planet. In this room, there are many interesting (such as the brown bear and the lynx) in the skeletons, such as a harbor seal ( Phoca vitulina ), a Dolomite mountains and the return of the wolf after Bengala tiger ( Panthera t. tigris ), a young specimen of over one century of local extinction. Others themes giraffe ( Giraffa cameleopardalis ), an ostrich ( Struthio are: the importance of endemic species and the camelus ) and a skull of a hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus problem of animals that have been introduced, the amphibius ). The most important specimen exposed in management of which is troublesome, such as the

Fig. 3. New setting: the second hall of the zoology museum (photo M. Pistore, University of Padova).

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Fig. 4. New setting: the hall dedicated to the local fauna (photo M. Pistore, University of Padova).

nutrias ( Myocastor coypus ), causing severe damages to illustrate the diversity of species living in the Adriatic the banks of local rivers, or the wild boars ( Sus scrofa ), Sea and a cabinet is dedicated to the exhibition of that are overpopulating the Euganean hills and marine invertebrates. affecting crops production. For these reasons the Despite its beauty and the historic value of its setting of this room has been realized thanks to the collections, the small Zoology Museum of the cooperation of the Corpo Forestale dello Stato, University of Padova has limitations: the available which provided useful informations on projects on spaces are narrow, there are few cabinets, even if they fauna management (see web sites 2, 3) and a video are new and tailor-made to receive the highest made by the local bureau for biodiversity of Tarvisio possible number of specimens and to provide the best (see web site 4). experience for the visitors, the storage room and the The last section of the museum is located in the laboratory are insufficient to fit the requirements of saloon below the loft. A metallic panel defines a small the services, lighting, heating and dehumidification room, which is used as a laboratory for the restoration should be improved to enable a better preservation of the ancient samples. A short narrow walk of the historical material along the time. introduces to the main saloon and exposes only some few lagoon birds living in this delicate environment. THE FUTURE OF THE MUSEUM An introductory panel depicts briefly the main For a long time it has been spoken to join all the features of the Adriatic Sea and of the “tegnue”, a scientific collections of the University of Padova in a distinctive environment of the Northern Adriatic Sea large Museum of Sciences. Now, this project seems between Chioggia and the Trieste gulf, characterized more close to reality. by a rocky substrate in an otherwise sandy In 2014, the preliminary project of the future environment (Casellato et al., 2007; Casellato & Museum of Natural History (MuSNa: Museo di Stefanon, 2008). Several large specimens are exposed Storia Naturale) was approved. A small exhibit of it in this room. Each one of them would require a hall has been recently presented at the historical Palazzo on its own: the skull and some vertebras of a sperm Cavalli, where the future entrance of the museum will whale ( Physeter macrocephalus ) captured in Zara, in 1767 be. The building is located in a strategical point of (Nicolosi, 2014) (fig. 5); the stuffed specimen of a the city, closest to the Arena gardens, where the white shark ( Carcharodon carcharias ) fished in the famous Scrovegni Chapel is. Adriatic Sea in 1823 (fig. 6), the complete skeleton The naturalistic museums of our university could not of a Risso’s Dolphin ( Grampus griseus ) that was prepared find any better location for the definitive exposition in 1956, when the zoologist Umberto D’Ancona of all historical collections. The new setting will show (1896-1964) was director of the Institute of Zoology the heritage of hundreds of years of studies and and Comparative Anatomy. The skeleton is displayed researches made by scientists of the University of close to the model of the dolphin and to the panel Padova. There are good hopes that the entire MuSNa explaining the main characteristics and adaptations project will be a reality increasing the value of the of cetaceans to the sea life. Several naturalized fishes city in a magnificent historical and artistic scenario.

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CONCLUSION In spring 2014, the museum celebrated the first ten years of the opening to the public, thanks to the investment of the University of Padova and to all those, who have believed in its creation, since the beginning. Since the year 2000, six thematic expositions have been realized: three in the University Museum Centre (CAM) and the others in the new exposition setting, starting from the year 2006. The main aim of the work that has been done in these years is the restoration and the study of the ancient collections. We started from the collections stored in liquid, because of their worse preservation, then we Fig. 5. The sperm whale specimen, focused on stuffed specimens. Many restoration Physeter macrocephalus (Adriatic Sea, 1767) (photo P. Nicolosi). procedures have been performed inside the museum, but the largest animals have been processed by specialized firms. years: the classification of the invertebrate specimens The results of all these works are the rearrangement is in progress. As a final remark, it must be and cataloguing of over 5000 specimens, the highlighted the publication of books on the history participation to national and international congresses, of some of the most important finds of the more than 20 among oral presentations, abstracts, collections: the skeleton of the Indian elephant papers published in national and international (Turchetto, 2004), the holotype of the leatherback journals (Casale et al., 2003; Guidarelli et al., 2014) turtle (Nicolosi & Turchetto, 2008) and birds and books dedicated to some historical specimen. collection recently donated by a private taxidermist Many studies performed in the museum were useful and naturalistic (Nicolosi & Paolucci, 2015). for about 15 degree theses, mainly in natural sciences; Since 2008, the museum is community service place. these studies dealt on rearrangement and restoration, In 2015 a museum project on Vertebrate Extinction classification, morphometric analyses, historical has been financed by the MIUR (D.L. 6/2000) in a researches, exposition projects, and recently also field joint project with the Regional Science Museum of studies. Didactical activities with students of local Torino, the University Bicocca of Milan and the schools have been done since the opening of the Science Museum of Trento (MUSE) that realized an museum, as much as cooperation with the municipal exhibition on this theme, inaugurated in July 2016. library, the hospital and a formation project for the The past and the recent history of the collections of teachers. the Zoology Museum are probably a rare and lucky All the museum specimens have been included in a example of restoration of a part of the national digital catalogue. The complete classification of all heritage, which is present in the museums (historical vertebrate specimens has been performed in recent collections) and that, often, is not accessible to the

Fig. 6. The white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Adriatic Sea, 1823) (photo M. Pistore, University of Padova).

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public and is not appreciated as it should (Andreone di Scienze in Italia: le Scienze Naturali a Padova. et al., 2014). Cleup Edizioni, Padova, pp.17-25. To conclude, I strongly hope that the new collections CASELLATO S., S TEFANON A., 2008. Coralligenous seat could give a deserved and definitive place to this Habitat in the Northern Adriatic Sea: an overwiew. so relevant historical heritage that has long been Marine Ecology , 29(3): 321-341. neglected and that has finally been found again. CASELLATO S., M ASIERO L., S ICHIROLLO E., S ORESI S., 2007. Hidden secrets of the Northern Adriatic: ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “tegnue”, peculiar reefs. Central European Journal of We must acknowledge the directors of the University Biology, 5, 2(1): 122-186. Museum Centre , the directors of the Department of FRETEY J., B OUR R., 1980. Redècouverte du type de Biology and the professors that contriduted to Dermochelys coriacea (Vandelli) (Testudinata, preserve and maintain these precious zoological Dermochelyidae), Boll. Zool. , 47 : 193-205. collections until nowadays and also, the directors of GIBIN C., 2008. Dal ripristino della cattedra di Storia the constructions sector, the directors of the naturale alla sua disaggregazione. In: Casellato S. (ed.) Per treasurer’s office, the regional head of the Corpo la Storia della Facoltà di Scienze in Italia: le Scienze Forestale dello Stato, dr. Daniele Zovi, dr. Paolo Naturali a Padova. Cleup Edizioni, Padova, pp. 25-33. Molinari of the ‘Lynx Italy Project’ for the counseling in the 3 rd hall, all volunteers and cooperators whose GUIDARELLI G., N ICOLOSI P., F USCO G., D E work allowed the opening of the museum. Finally, I FRANCESCO M. C., L OY A. , 2014. Morphological shall thank Dr. Andrea Lafisca for the kind translation variation and modularity in the mandible of three of the text. Mediterranean dolphin species, Italian Journal of Zoology , 81 (3): 354-367. DOI:10.1080/11250003. REFERENCES 2014.943685 NICOLOSI P., 2014. I Cetacei del Museo di Zoologia ANDREONE F., B ARTOLOZZI L., B OANO G., B OERO F., dell’Università di Padova, Museologia Scientifica Memorie , BOLOGNA M.A., B ON M., B RESSI N., C APULA M., 12 : 88-91. CASALE A., C ASIRAGHI M., C HIOZZI G., D ELFINO M., DORIA G., D URANTE A., F ERRARI M., G IPPOLITI S., NICOLOSI P., P AOLUCCI P. (eds), 2015. Biodiversità nel LANZINGER M., L ATELLA L., M AIO N., M ARANGONI C., bellunese. La collezione ornitologica di Ivan Fossa . Università MAZZOTTI S., M INELLI A., M USCIO G., N ICOLOSI P., degli Studi di Padova, 79 pp. PIEVANI T., R AZZETTI E., S ABELLA G., V ALLE M., NICOLOSI P., T URCHETTO M. (eds), 2008. Storie di VOMERO V., Z ILLI A., 2014. Italian natural history tartarughe e di papi . Università degli Studi di Padova, museums on the verge of collapse? ZooKeys, 456 : 139- Canova Edizioni, Treviso,126 pp. 146. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.456.8862 TURCHETTO M. ( ed. ), 2004. Morte di un elefante a Venezia, CANESTRINI G., C ANESTRINI R. , 1883. Il corallo . Annali dalla curiosità alla scienza . Università degli Studi di dell’Industria e del Commercio . Tip. Eredi Botta , Padova, Canova Edizioni, Treviso, 79 pp. Roma, 199 pp. VALLISNERI A. , 1733. Opere fisico-mediche stampate e CASALE P., N ICOLOSI P., F REGGI D., T URCHETTO M., manoscritte del kavalier Antonio Vallisneri raccolte da Antonio ARGANO R. , 2003. Leatherback turtles ( Dermochelys suo figliuolo , 3 vol., Sebastiano Colete, Venezia. coriacea ) in Italy and the Mediterranean Basin. Herpetological Journal, 13 : 135-139. Web sites (accessed 20.10.16) CASELLATO S., 1991. Dall’insegnamento della “Storia 1) Centro di Ateneo per i Musei dell’Università degli Naturale” a Padova al Dipartimento di Biologia . Progetto Studi di Padova, Museo di Zoologia Edizioni, Padova, 57 pp. www.unipd.it/musei/zoologia 2) KORA, Carnivore Ecology and Wildlife CASELLATO S., 1997. La Storia Naturale Management nell’Università di Padova del XIX° secolo. In: Le Scienze www.kora.ch biologiche nel Veneto dell’Ottocento , VI° Seminario di Storia 3) Progetto Lince Italia, Il sito italiano interamente della Scienza e della Tecnica. Ist. Ven. Sc Lett. ed dedicato alla Lince Eurasiatica e al suo habitat Arti, pp. 91-99. www.progetto-lince-italia.it CASELLATO S., 2002. Antonio Vallisneri junior . In: 4) Corpo Forestale dello Stato, Foresta di Tarvisio, Casellato S., Sitran Rea L. (eds), Scienziati e www.corpoforestale.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php Professori a Padova nel ‘700. Contributi alla storia /L/IT/IDPagina/421 dell’Università di Padova, pp. 553-559. CASELLATO S., 2008. Le Scienze della Natura prima dell’istituzione della Facoltà di Scienze MM FF e NN (1734- Submitted: July 28th, 2016 - Accepted: October 27th, 2016 Published: December 16th, 2016 1873) . In: Casellato S. (ed.), Per la Storia della Facoltà

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