Paolo Gorini Museum, Natural history museum in Ospedale Vecchio, Lodi, Italy.
The Paolo Gorini Museum in Ospedale Vecchio displays around 170 human and animal specimens preserved in glass cases throughout the former hospital. These preparations date from the 1830s through the late 1800s and were created using special preservation methods that Gorini pioneered.
Professor Paolo Gorini began preserving anatomical specimens using chemical techniques starting in the 1830s. The museum was established in 1981 to safeguard his remarkable collection and make it available to the public.
The collection reflects how people in 19th century Lodi understood and documented health and physical conditions. The specimens provide windows into daily medical realities and what people saw as medically significant in that era.
The museum is located in a former hospital building and is relatively easy to reach, with parking available near the entrance at Piazza San Francesco. Visits are organized on specific days, often with guided tours, so it helps to check opening times beforehand.
Gorini's preservation technique was so effective that many specimens still retain their original form and color after all these years. This makes the collection a rare window into how anatomy was documented and understood in the 19th century.
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