Museo civico di storia naturale "Silvia Zenari"

About the museum

The museum was founded thanks to the Società Naturalisti Silvia Zenari, a voluntary association set up in 1966 to obtain a scientific museum for the city. On 20 October 1969 the municipal executive assigned Palazzo Amalteo as the seat of the Museo civico di storia naturale, which opened in 1971 with six thematic rooms on the ground floor. The earthquake of 1976 made the building unusable and the collections were moved to a temporary site; from 1978 the route was open again, though with some limitations.

Palazzo Amalteo, in via della Motta, was for about three centuries the residence of the Amalteo family, writers, artists and scientists. After several changes of ownership it was bought by the municipality of Pordenone in 1863, and it housed a court, schools, offices and the historical archive before becoming a museum. The main façades and the wide entrance hall have remained almost entirely original.

In 2006 the archaeological finds were transferred to the Museo archeologico del Friuli Occidentale at the Castello di Torre, and the spaces were reorganised to dedicate the entire route to natural history. On 14 November 2007 the museum was named after Silvia Zenari (1895–1956), a naturalist and teacher who studied botany and phytogeography. In 2023–2024 a project funded by the PNRR (Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan) removed physical, sensory and cognitive barriers. The collections, which include mineralogy, petrography, palaeontology, botany, zoology, ethnography and technology, exceed ninety thousand specimens.

Highlights

• Life-size reconstruction of the woolly mammoth Gaetano in the courtyard
• Theatrum naturae, a 17th-century reconstruction of a cabinet of wonders, and a 19th-century naturalist's study
• Sala Arrigoni degli Oddi with the 19th-century bird collection and original furnishings
• Rooms on mineralogy, botany, entomology and vertebrates with dioramas
• Barrier-free route with visual-tactile maps and multimedia content

Permanent exhibitions

• Sale di mineralogia, botanica, entomologia e vertebrati – Route through minerals, plants, insects, birds and mammals, with dioramas devoted to regional fauna.
• Theatrum naturae – A 17th-century reconstruction of a cabinet of wonders with creatures on the border between reality and legend, alongside the study of a 19th-century naturalist.
• Sala Arrigoni degli Oddi – 19th-century bird collection of Count Oddo Arrigoni degli Oddi, displayed with the original furnishings of the Monselice estate.

Founded

1971

Operated by

Comune di Pordenone

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for tourist guides and journalists with press card, school groups from Pordenone schools with two accompanying adults, officials of the heritage authority (Soprintendenza), directors and curators of other civic museums, and ICOM members. Admission to the temporary exhibitions on the ground floor is free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

All areas of the museum are accessible to people with mobility difficulties. The route has high-visibility signage and visual-tactile maps; multimedia devices offer audio content for visually impaired people, content in Italian Sign Language (LIS), in Easy to Read and in CAA (augmentative and alternative communication), as well as augmented reality experiences.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Under the “Domeniche al museo” (Museum Sundays) programme, educational workshops and guided tours take place on Sunday afternoons; the mammoth Gaetano in the courtyard is the museum's mascot.

Getting there & parking

The museum is at Via della Motta 16, in the historic centre of Pordenone.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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