The Museo civico di Storia naturale di Morbegno housed in a splendid 18th century building in the historical centre of the city;has the largest natural history collection of local specimens in the Province of Sondrio;located in the Central Alps of the Region of Lombardy;Italy;for example:
- Rocks and Minerals (c.1500 samples)
- Fossils (a few local examples;the most important of which is Cassinisia orobica)
- Herbarium (over 3000 sheets)
- Insects (over 40;000 specimens)
- Amphibians (134 specimens)
- Reptiles (152 specimens)
- Birds (954 specimens)
- Mammals (1194 specimens)
Permanent exhibitions occupy two floors of the Museum and are divided into two sections:Earth Sciences and Fauna.On the round floor;the Earth Sciences section is spread over three rooms;where 24 separate displays guide visitors through the most significant morphological and geological aspects of the Province of Sondrio.Here;80 examples of rocks and more than 200 minerals are grouped according to age and/or transformation type.The Fauna section is divided between the first and second floors;beginning with the Amphibians and Reptiles (under renovation);bird displays;and large dioramas of natural ecosystems;such as riparian habitats;deciduous and coniferous forests;and alpine tundra;where representative species of the rich local bird and mammal fauna can be appreciated.The exhibition ends with an attractive room dedicated to the insects;with recently installed;custom-designed panels.
The Museum's staff is particularly dedicated to promoting cultural and naturalistic knowledge in the community.