Our visit to Padova was part of a 17-day, 5 city trip from Venice to Rome in October 2023. We wanted to focus this post on a new museum, Museum of Nature and Humankind (Museo della Natura e dell’Uomo) that opened in Padova in summer of 2023. We haven’t seen much on the forums about it (somewhat expected, as it is so new), and we wanted to post because we think it’s a worthwhile visit.
The museum is a “merger of four collections — Mineralogy, Geology & Paleontology, Zoology and Anthropology — associated historically with the University of Padua” (quote from their website). It includes a wide range of fossils and rocks, an interesting perspective on the migration of early humans out of Africa, and artifacts from visits by Europeans to Asia and Africa. The collection has the advantage of being powered by a university that has been doing research and collecting specimens for 900 years, and the disadvantage of being less comprehensive than those powered by larger institutions (for example, the Smithsonian or the British Museum). It also addresses some of the mistakes of the past, including cultural insensitivity and colonialism, with commentary on displays.
The museum building is easy to reach. Ride the tram to the Eremitani tram stop; that’s the stop for the Scrovegni Chapel. The museum entrance is near the tram stop, on the opposite side of the road from the Scrovegni Chapel; look for a gate to enter a courtyard, the museum entrance is across the courtyard. Check the website for current prices; admission is reasonable and there are a number of discounts available. (Also check hours and days; when we visited they were closed on Mondays.)
The building is new; it’s easy to find clean (free) restrooms on every floor, and a free water bottle filling station on the entry floor. There is no snack bar/restaurant on site; however, admission is for the day, so you may exit, find lunch, then return and continue your visit.
We enjoyed this museum very much, and we recommend it for those interested in history. It’s worth at least a half-day; we were there most of the day.
We have other recommendations from our Padova visit, and I will put those in the comments.
Sharon Odell & John Crisp