Palazzo dei Musei, Museum complex in Reggio Emilia, Italy
Palazzo dei Musei is a museum complex in Reggio Emilia housing natural history, archaeological, and technology collections. The exhibits occupy a former Franciscan monastery and display fossils, Roman mosaics, prehistoric objects, and artworks spanning several centuries.
The building began as a Franciscan monastery in 1256 and served religious purposes for centuries. It was transformed during Napoleonic times and opened as a public museum in 1830.
The name reflects its role as a museum complex housing multiple collections in one place. You can see how the city preserves and shares knowledge about local natural history and ancient civilizations.
The complex offers wheelchair accessibility and is organized into distinct exhibition areas that are easy to navigate. Allow enough time to explore the different collections at a relaxed pace without feeling rushed.
The skeleton of the Valentina whale, a fossil marine animal from millions of years ago, was discovered in the nearby hills and is now displayed here. This remarkable find reveals that the region was once covered by ancient seas.
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