The building served as the official ghetto for Turkish merchants in Venice from 1621 until 1838.
It contains a rare, complete skeleton of the Sarcosuchus imperator, an extinct genus of crocodiliform.
The museum's collection originates partly from the donations of the Venetian naturalist Giovanni Domenico Nardo.
The structure underwent extensive restoration in the early 21st century to adapt the historic palace for modern museum standards.
It houses a 'Cetacean Gallery' featuring the skeleton of a young sperm whale stranded in the Adriatic in 1983.
The Museo di Storia Naturale Giancarlo Ligabue is housed in the Fondaco dei Turchi, a 13th-century Venetian-Byzantine palace originally serving as a trading base for Turkish merchants. The museum features a vast collection of natural history specimens, including a reconstructed 15-meter-long Ouranosaurus nigeriensis skeleton. Its research center holds an extensive scientific library dedicated to natural history and archaeology. The building itself is an architectural landmark on the Grand Canal, noted for its historic portico and loggia. Exhibitions cover paleontology, entomology, and regional Venetian zoology. Visitors can explore the 'Aquarium of the Tegnùe,' which showcases the biodiversity of the rocky outcrops in the Adriatic Sea. The museum is a key component of the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia. It functions as a center for scientific study and public education in the historic Santa Croce district.
The main courtyard entrance, which perfectly frames the Venetian-Byzantine architectural elements of the facade.
Prioritize visiting the aquarium section on the ground floor first, as it explains the local Adriatic ecosystem.
Check the museum's official website for current temporary exhibition schedules before visiting.
Use the internal courtyard to escape the noise and humidity of the Grand Canal.
Do not mistake the museum for a general art gallery; its primary focus is natural science, not Venetian painting.
Closed on Mondays.
Maintain a quiet tone; photography is permitted for personal use but flash is strictly prohibited to protect the specimens.
