The University of Pavia Museo di Storia Naturale was created in 1771 by order of Maria Theresa of Austria;who appointed Lazzaro Spallanzani;holder of the chair in natural history;as its director.The collections expanded considerably under his guidance through purchases;exchanges and donations;and the museum soon became one of most famous of its kind in Europe.The 19th century saw a second period of splendour with further expansion of the collections;not least through the contributions of great explorers.
The museum currently houses the ancient material in different premises.The Zoology section includes thousands of stuffed birds and mammals;numerous amphibians;reptiles and fish preserved in liquid;and a very rich collection of insects.The Comparative Anatomy section includes preparations of organs and mounted skeletons;and the important Palaeontology section boasts over 30;000 specimens of fossil animals and plants.