Museo della Fondazione scienza e tecnica

About the museum

The Fondazione Scienza e Tecnica was founded in 1987 on the initiative of the Tuscany Region, the Province and the Comune of Florence, with the scientific support of the then Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza (now the Museo Galileo). Its aim is to recover and enhance the historical-scientific heritage of the Istituto Tecnico Toscano, a 19th-century Florentine technical school, and to spread scientific and technological culture.

The seat is the large building erected by the Comune di Firenze in 1891 in what was then via del Mandorlo (now via Giusti), to house the Istituto’s collections, previously kept in the former convent of the Cavalieresse di Malta in via Sangallo. The right wing of the complex, about 2,500 square metres over five levels, is assigned to the Foundation. The heritage exceeds fifty thousand objects, including natural history collections, scientific instruments, machine models, manufactured products and book collections.

The Physics Collections include the ancient Gabinetto di Fisica, with over 2,000 machines and apparatus still in their original furnishings: it is the largest Italian collection of instruments for the study and teaching of physics from the second half of the 19th century. Alongside these are the collections of natural sciences and of merceologia (commodity science). In 2002 the Planetario di Firenze was inaugurated, run by the Foundation together with the Museo Galileo and the Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri.

Highlights

• Gabinetto di Fisica with over 2,000 original apparatus
• 19th-century optics and acoustics instruments
• Natural science and merceologia collections
• Planetario di Firenze (by booking)
• Route on steam, work and energy

Permanent exhibitions

• Collezioni di Fisica – The ancient Gabinetto di Fisica with over 2,000 machines and apparatus from the late 19th century, especially in optics and acoustics, kept in their original furnishings.
• Collezioni di Scienze naturali e applicazioni di Merceologia – Natural history collections and samples of raw materials and products of the Istituto Tecnico Toscano.

Founded

2000

Operated by

Fondazione Scienza e Tecnica

Admission & discounts

The planetarium ticket is separate from the museum ticket. Tickets can be bought online through Vivaticket.

Accessibility

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

The museum has invested in accessibility for people with hearing impairments: presentation videos with subtitles, audio in Italian and translation into LIS (Italian Sign Language), information panels along the route and QR codes linking to explanatory videos. At the entrance there is a multimedia station with an interactive map (in Italian and English). The museum is listed in the Firenze SuperAbile guide.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Educational workshops and visits for children, teenagers and adults take place every Sunday, by booking.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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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