Museo di storia naturale Antonio Stoppani

About the museum

The museum is named after Antonio Stoppani, an Ambrosian priest, geologist and seminary teacher. It is housed in the Liceo of the Seminario arcivescovile of Venegono Inferiore and is organised into 104 display cases and 7 exhibition stands, arranged according to teaching criteria of systematics and chronology.

A substantial part of the material comes from the former lyceum seminary of Monza. The original Stoppani collection, destroyed during the Second World War, is now represented by 422 surviving pieces, which are being catalogued. The museum is directed by Don Elio Gentili and assisted by volunteers.

The collections comprise animals, Lombard Mesozoic fossils (fish, crustaceans and reptiles), rocks and minerals, as well as prehistoric finds from Lake Varese. A bust of Stoppani by Francesco Wildt, a gift from the city of Lecco, is kept in the museum.

Highlights

• Nile crocodile of about five metres
• Mesozoic fossils from Lombardy
• Prehistoric finds from Lake Varese
• Rocks and minerals
• Bust of Antonio Stoppani by Francesco Wildt

Permanent exhibition

• Collezioni di scienze naturali – Zoological, palaeontological, mineralogical and petrographic collections in 104 display cases.

Director

don Elio Gentili

Visitors per year

approx. 5,000

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

The museum is in the Liceo of the Seminario arcivescovile, in Via Papa Pio XI, in Venegono Inferiore.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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