Gustavianum, University museum in Uppsala, Sweden
Gustavianum is Uppsala University's oldest standing building, erected in 1622–1625 to designs by Dutch architect Caspar van Panten. Its roof carries a round cupola crowned by a sundial, built in 1662–1663 by Olof Rudbeck the Elder to house an anatomical theatre with standing room for 200 spectators. Since 1997 the building has served as the university museum.
Gustavianum was built between 1622 and 1625 to designs by Dutch architect Caspar van Panten, funded by a donation from Gustavus Adolphus, and housed lecture halls, a printing press and student rooms. In 1662 Olaus Rudbeck added a floor and the anatomical theatre in a cupola. After Academia Carolina was demolished in 1778, Gustavianum became the university's main building until 1887. It has served as the university museum since 1997.
The name Gustavianum honours Gustavus Adolphus, who funded construction in the 1620s. The Augsburg Art Cabinet, a cabinet of curiosities made in 1633, holds about 1,000 objects. The museum also keeps lecture notes from the university's first semester in 1477 and finds from the Valsgärde boat graves, used from the 6th to the 11th century.
The museum entrance is on Domkyrkoplan, opposite Uppsala Cathedral. The anatomical theatre is reached by stairs and has standing room only, as in Rudbeck's day. The museum closed on 30 September 2019 for repairs and reopened on 24 June 2024.
The cupola was built in 1662–1663 for Olaus Rudbeck's anatomy demonstrations and held 200 standing spectators. It is the second-oldest surviving anatomical theatre in the world. After dissections ended in the 1750s, the cupola housed the university library and later a zoological museum; it was restored to Rudbeck's design in 1955.
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