FLORENCE, ITALY – The Museum of Zoology and Natural History, best known as La Specola, is an eclectic natural history museum in Florence, central Italy, located next to the Pitti Palace. This museum is located in the former Palazzo Torrigani at Via Romana 17, near the Pitti Palace
The name Specola means observatory, a reference to the astronomical observatory founded there in 1790. This museum is part of what are now six different collections at four different sites for the Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze.
The museum has deep ties with history; parts of the collection can be traced back to the Medici Family. It is known for its collection of wax anatomical models from the 18th century. It is the oldest scientific Museum of Europe.