Nature and cultures
The splendid ethnographic collections illustrate how different peoples have adapted to their surrounding environments through culture. The key to understanding the entire section lies in observing the biocultural evolution that has characterized our species.
An astonishing and endangered biodiversity
The living beings that populate the Earth are all interconnected, as narrated by the Tree of Life, a grand multimedia installation that opens the journey into the world of animals.
The Hall of Palms and the treasures of Palazzo Cavalli
The Museo della Natura e dell'Uomo is a treasure chest full of precious treasures, but the chest itself is a treasure. Entering the Museum means opening your eyes to wonders in wonder: the splendid frescoed halls of the sixteenth-century Palazzo Cavalli accompany visitors on a journey through time and space, in which few but significant objects tell the biographies, adventures and research of naturalists and collectors who have contributed over the centuries to making the Paduan collections renowned throughout the world.
Earth, a vast evolving system
A journey that takes us from the formation of the Solar System to the Anthropocene through an immersive trip to the center of the Earth and the evidence that testifies to the continuous evolution of our planet.
From the appearance of life to Homo sapiens
Fossils allow us to reconstruct the history of life on Earth. What are they? How do they form? What information do they contain? Fabulous exhibits and multimedia installations answer these questions, taking visitors on an out-and-out journey through time.
From Africa to Eurasia: the great mosaic of human biodiversity
From the Geological Time, we transition to the Time of Man, the Anthropocene: visitors find themselves immersed in the African landscape that witnessed our origin as a species. From those sun-baked lands, humans have repeatedly ventured out, expanding into Eurasia starting 120,000 years ago.