Museo di Storia Naturale di Venezia, Natural history museum in Santa Croce district, Venice, Italy.
This institution occupies a 13th-century palace on the waterfront featuring a symmetrical marble facade with double-tiered arched loggias. Inside, eleven exhibition rooms hold zoological objects, fossils, and botanical specimens arranged for viewing.
The collection was established in 1923 when the Venetian Republic brought together objects from other scientific institutions. The building itself had served as a trading post for centuries before becoming a museum.
The building's name, Fondaco dei Turchi, reflects its former role as a trading station in the Venetian Republic. The rooms inside tell stories of how people and animals adapted to different environments throughout time.
The museum is easily accessible by water bus with stops directly in front of the entrance. Arriving early in the day is advisable to avoid crowds and have more space to view the collections.
The museum displays a complete dinosaur skeleton and the remains of a giant prehistoric crocodile, both acquired from an expedition in the 1970s. These finds come from distant regions of Africa and reveal how scientists relied on fieldwork to expand their collections.
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