Museo Ornitologico Scanagatta
Civic museum in Varenna with more than 800 specimens of birds and mammals from the Lario area and a rare malacological collection.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum began as the private collection of the Varenna schoolmaster Luigi Scanagatta, a passionate scholar of ornithology, malacology and botany. It was opened to the public in 1962 thanks to an agreement with the Pro Loco of Varenna, and in 1981 it became a civic museum.
The collection comprises more than 800 specimens of birds and mammals, to which is added a fine collection of land and freshwater molluscs. Over time the displays have been updated and enriched, also thanks to collaboration with the Università del Piemonte Orientale and CROS Varenna, a local association of ornithologists.
The museum is spread over two floors. On the lower floor the natural environments around Varenna are reconstructed, from the plain and the lakeshore to the woods and mountain pastures, with the birds that inhabit them and a large display case devoted to birds of prey. The upper floor illustrates the biology and ecology of birds, including feeding, plumage and migration; the route ends with the malacological collection. The display cases have texts in Italian and English.
Highlights
- More than 800 specimens of birds and mammals
- Natural environments of Lake Como reconstructed over two floors
- Central display case of birds of prey
- Rare malacological collection
- Texts in Italian and English
Permanent exhibition
- Esposizione permanente di ornitologia e scienze naturali – Natural environments of the Varenna area with the birds that characterise them, bird biology and ecology, and the malacological collection.
- Founded
- 1962
- Operated by
- Comune di Varenna
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free admission for ages 0 to 17. |
Free admission for under-18s, residents of the Municipality of Varenna and tourist guides.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
The book “Gli uccelli delle province di Como e di Lecco” (The Birds of the Provinces of Como and Lecco) can be purchased at the museum.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visits alone or in a group, with a guide or independently; texts in Italian and English. |
