Museo Farmacia Mazzolini Giuseppucci

About the museum

The Mazzolini pharmacy, in the form in which it has come down to today, dates from the late 19th century, in the medieval old town of Fabriano, when Ermogaste Mazzolini (1849–1899) inherited the apothecary (spezieria) from his father Perseo. A skilled pharmacist who was also active in the political and cultural life of the city, Mazzolini frequented intellectual, scientific and Masonic circles, and the pharmacy became a point of reference for the community and a meeting place for secular clubs.

In 1892 the sculptor Adolfo Ricci from Perugia was called to Fabriano to teach woodcarving at the Regia Scuola Professionale d’Arti e Mestieri (Royal Vocational School of Arts and Crafts). Between 1895 and 1896 Mazzolini commissioned him to decorate the furnishings, with the idea of building a small temple to experimental science. The result is Ricci’s masterpiece: walls, ceiling and counter are covered with carvings in maple and ebony, from full relief to bas-relief, which illustrate the scientific achievements of the 18th and 19th centuries through portraits and allegorical scenes.

The furnishings are complemented by a nearly complete set of vases and glass containers from the Ginori di Doccia manufactory: about 400 pieces, with labels in lacquer and gold, of which about 90 are porcelain. After a recent restoration, the pharmacy has become a “museum of itself” and has reopened to the public as “1896 Scienza e Natura”, a name that refers to the year the furnishings were made. The sale of herbal preparations and natural cosmetics continues.

Highlights

• Neo-Gothic furnishings fully carved by Adolfo Ricci (1895–1896)
• Twenty-five portraits of scientists, including Avogadro, Faraday, Lavoisier, Volta and Röntgen
• Collection of Ginori di Doccia porcelain and glassware with lacquer and gold labels
• First edition of the Farmacopea Ufficiale del Regno d’Italia (1892) on display in the museum
• Bookshop with herbal preparations and natural cosmetics

Permanent exhibition

• Arredi lignei di Adolfo Ricci e collezione Ginori – Carved neo-Gothic furnishings with portraits of scientists, medallions of doctors and pharmacists, and the historic pharmacy’s set of Ginori vases.

Founded

1896

Operated by

Farmacia Giuseppucci

Visitors per year

approx. 2,500

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Herbal preparations and natural cosmetics from the 1896 Scienza e Natura line are on sale in the pharmacy.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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