The Museum in evolution

The Museum studies and interprets the complexity of the territory by communicating the value of its collections and natural, environmental heritage. It brings together diverse languages and participatory cultural experiences, serving as a point of reference for a network of projects and collaborations. It promotes awareness and responsibility toward nature, ecosystems, and sustainability, while remaining conscious of its current limitations and future potential. A key to understanding and interpreting the past, present, and future.

History

1814 – 1902

1814: the first donation was given by Count Luigi Lechi who donated more than 200 minerals of various origins.

1895: Eugenio Bettoni founded Brescia’s Society of Natural History dedicated to the pharmacist Giovanni Battista Ragazzoni, one of the first to be interested in local entomology, mineralogy and study of fossil finds.

1902: inauguration of the Natural History Museum “G. Ragazzoni” at Palazzo Martinengo da Barco, then home to the Brescia Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts.
1907 – 1951

1907 – 1909: the collections were then transferred to the Castle of Brescia and the city zoo opened. Over the years, the zoo contributed to enriching the museum’s zoological collections with exotic specimens.

1949: members of the Ateneo and the Ragazzoni Natural History Group donate the collections to the Municipality of Brescia.

1951: the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali opens to the public, in the keep of the Castle of Brescia.
1953

1953: inauguration of the Civica Specola Astronomica Cidnea, Italy’s first astronomical observatory dedicated to public observation of the sky. In the same year, the city zoo reopens after a period of closure following the Second World War.
1983 – 2017

1983: the new Museo di Scienze Naturali opens in its current location on Via Ozanam.

2001 – 2005: the “Natural Environments” exhibition rooms are dismantled to make way for the construction of the new library.

2007: inauguration of the Scientific Library “Nino Arietti”.

2017: publication of the Report of the Working Group for the Relaunch of the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali, promoted by the Municipal Department for Environmental Protection, Sustainability, Green Areas, and Civil Protection.
2018 – 2022

2018: transfer of the Museum’s management to the Department for Culture, Creativity and Technological Innovation.

2021: presentation of the cultural project for the renewal of the Brescia Scientific Museum Hub, developed by Codice Edizioni.

2022: presentation of the feasibility study exploring design alternatives for a new Museum location, prepared by the architectural firm Tectoo. Now, the work is on hold; however, it remains an important reference since it paved the way for the current museum revitalization project, including the new ground-floor exhibition route.
2024-2026

2024: Proposal for the creation of the visitor center of the Parco delle Colline of Brescia at the Museo di Scienze Naturali.

2025: The City Council approves the executive project for the redevelopment of the ground floor of the Museo di Scienze Naturali.

2026: Start of the works for the new exhibition setup.

The Museum today

Due to a forced closure of the permanent exhibition and waiting for a new location, the Museo di Scienze Naturali of Brescia continues its activity:

by organizing temporary exhibitions, dissemination activities for citizens and educational proposals for schools and groups
by promoting scientific and naturalistic knowledge
by preserving the natural heritage

The Museum deals with scientific research activities collaborating with a territorial network consisting of museums, parks, science centers and research organizations for the knowledge, conservation and enhancement of natural patrimony.

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The Museum is therefore a place of intersection where the territorial knowledge acquired with the study of scientific collections and with field researches can be put at the service of:

research entities for the construction of theoretical models;
local authorities for the decision-makers in the application of these models on a territorial scale;
Institutions promoting science and nature education;
companies and technological research inspired by the Nature Based Solution philosophy.

Cultural project and feasibility study for the Museum of the Possible Future

Between 2021 and 2022, the Museo di Scienze Naturali of Brescia faced a redesign of its cultural and architectural identity. The concept envisioned a Museum capable of starting from the local area, the ecosystem, and the natural history of Brescia to offer interpretative keys for the future; an agora of scientific knowledge and a cultural hub immersed in greenery. This new cultural project subsequently led to the development of a feasibility study for a new location. Presented in 2022 by Studio Tectoo, the project is the result of a synergistic collaboration between the Museum staff, the Building Department of the Municipality of Brescia, and the consultants of Codice Edizioni who, through Fondazione Brescia Musei, oversaw the process.

Recently, the City Council approved a project by Associates Architecture Srl for the redevelopment of the ground floor. The intervention aims to enhance this area which, from a simple transit space, will become an integrated exhibition environment, built with sustainable materials and in line with the requirements of the new regulations. Thanks to a new paving, the internal courtyard will also be upgraded, becoming a direct connection between the museum and the surrounding park. The latter, designed as a botanical path, hosts various tree species from Northern Italy as well as a low-maintenance biodiversity flowerbed, created to support the spread of flora, pollinators, and small vertebrate fauna in an urban environment.

During the construction works, the Museum’s educational activities for school classes will be ensured thanks to the spaces made available by Brescia Musei at the Castle of Brescia.

Brand

The new visual identity of the Museo di Scienze Naturali

The new visual identity of the Museo di Scienze Naturali was developed through a collaboration with the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and the launch of a stakeholder engagement process, structured around working groups involving selected public stakeholders.

The reflections that emerged from the tables are significant testimonies and stimuli of fundamental importance for the present and, above all, for the Future of the Museum. Its identity traits and functions are outlined and translated into the shape, composition, colors and formats of the new logo:

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The shape recalls and represents the territory of the Province of Brescia, placing the Museum as the midpoint of a massive network. It interprets processes and returns connections through the territorial knowledge of the natural patrimony.
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The composition and colors reflect the functions of research, conservation and enhancement of the Museum in the Earth Sciences and Life Sciences
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The different formats express the idea of creating a dynamic Museum, under construction, that combines knowledge, innovations and that promotes connections and participation

The Museum in evolution

History

1814 – 1902

1907 – 1951

1953

1983 – 2017

2018 – 2022

2024-2026

The Museum today

Brand

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