{room full-o-bones}
Visiting the Rome Zoology Museum is like taking a trip back in time. The the Victorian-style display cases, stuffed birds and sometimes extinct creatures, and a background soundtrack of wildlife noises, all make this a bizarre and mysterious place.
My son, the 4 year-old animal lover, loves coming here on Sunday afternoons and staring in awe at the many items on display in the old permanent exhibit. With its five million specimens in total (molluscs, insects, birds, mammals and fossils) this place is always a hit with children. At the end of the tour, two dozen skeletons haunt the large and sunny salon-like room. There are giant towering frames–like the giraffe and the elephant–and smaller skeletons of ancient residents of the Rome conservation zoo.
The yellowed catalog nametags below each case are handwritten in that typical pointy turn of the century hand. There are roomfuls of taxidermically preserved fauna, so lifelike that my child sometimes asks me, "È vero?"
The tall windows have drapes that sometimes billow in the draft, adding to the mystery.
I personally like animals free and wild, but something darkly romantic makes me like this place. Despite the bones.
Zoology Museum | Museo Civico di Zoologia
Via Ulisse Aldrovandi 18 | Tel. +39 06 6710 9270 | www.museodizoologia.it | Opening hours: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Closed Monday | Entrance fee: €6,00 ~ free admission for kids under 18 and over 65!
It sounds wonderful and wondrous.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see this museum.
By the time I finally get to Rome I'll qualify for the free admission. :)
nice shot
ReplyDeleteRoma è città molto bella!
ReplyDeleteSono stato in visita turistica 6 volte.
Ho lavorato tre anni come un immigrato nella città di Foggia.
Roma è stata e rimane una città molto bella!
So very interesting. I'd love to spend some time here.
ReplyDeleteYou are spoiling us!
ReplyDeleteYes, I understand your feeling about animals being wild and free. Last week, we had a discussion about the idea of a zoo, and we hall had mixed feelings about it.
ReplyDeleteI too have very mixed feelings about zoos, circuses, etc. The whole animals as entertainment thing is very distasteful to me. And natural history museums can be disturbing too with their weird taxidermy displays. Nevertheless, I have to say that this room is really beautiful and eerie at the same time. You really captured that feeling too. I can just hear the animal sounds with the wispy white curtains blowing in the breeze. I really like how the museum presents this collection. I would love to see this.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, museums are wonderful places and it's been a long time since I've explored one. Thanks for the reminder and for your wonderful photo.
ReplyDeleteYes I prefer animals to be wild and free too but places like this are still interesting.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know there was one in Rome, it looks quite good!
ReplyDeleteOH the way you shot this and the BW image is just wonderful. You make a museum into a work of art all in itself. I am glad your boy enjoys it so much.
ReplyDeleteV
Cool photo! My son would love this museum.
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