Museum of Paleontology in Empoli
A fascinating journey through Earth’s history among fossils and artifacts
The Civic Museum of Paleontology in Empoli is located in the historic Palazzo Ghibellino, a 1269 building that was once the seat of the Ghibelline Parliament, overlooking the city’s oldest square, Piazza Farinata degli Uberti. Founded in 1988 at the initiative of the Municipality of Empoli and the Gruppo Paleontologico e Mineralogico Empolese (GPME), the museum offers an exhibition covering more than 2 billion years of Earth’s history, with a focus on Tuscany’s fossil deposits.
The museum counts 2 floors and 5 thematic rooms. The Earth Science Room introduces the formation of the solar system, the internal structure of the planet and geological processes, including fossilization; the Geological Eras Room illustrates the evolution of life from the Paleozoic to the Quaternary with a tactile sensory pathway to promote accessibility; then, a life-size diorama reconstructs the fight between two dinosaurs, Velociraptor mongoliensis and Protoceratops andrewsi, popular especially with children.
On the ground floor, the Tuscan Pliocene Room displays Pliocene marine fossils from Tuscan localities such as the former Spicchio Quarry, while the Valdarno Paleoenvironmental Evolution Room and the Homination Room illustrate land transformations and the evolution of humans from anthropomorphic apes to Homo sapiens sapiens, with a 2ⁿᵈ diorama depicting a cave bear hunt by Neanderthal Man. The latter 2 rooms offer a tactile-sensory pathway that is fun for children and designed with visually impaired or blind people in mind, for an immersive and inclusive visit.
The museum’s collection has more than 70,000 artifacts, including fossils, rocks, log fragments and amber containing insects, mostly from Pliocene marine deposits in Tuscany that testify to an ancient marine expanse in the region.
The Study Center, an integral part of the museum, preserves most of the artifacts not on display and is accessible to scholars and enthusiasts, free of charge by appointment. Since 1996, the museum has hosted an Environmental Education Laboratory with educational activities for schools of all levels, complemented by guided tours and meetings in areas of geo-paleontological interest such as the Spicchio Quarry and the Arno Vecchio area, with the aim of raising awareness regarding environmental protection and knowledge of local heritage.
The Civic Museum of Paleontology in Empoli thus represents a scientific and cultural landmark that combines research, education, inclusivity and enhancement of the area in a fascinating historical context.
The museum is open on weekdays only for educational activities and during special openings.
For information on accessibility, please visit regione.toscana.it.
