The Museum of Mineralogy and Petrology (Museo di Mineralogia e Litologia) is part of the Natural History Museum of Florence and has an impressive collection of colourful stones and jewels.
Mineralogy Museum Florence
Address, opening hours and admission
The address of the museum is Via La Pira, 4 – 50121 Florence. Tel. +39 0552346760. Opening Hours: 1 October to 31 May: 09.00 to 13.00; Saturday, Sunday and public holiday: 10.00 to 17.00. 1 June to 30 September: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Wednesday; 1 January, Easter, 1 May, 15 August, 25 December closed. Admission: 6 Euro (children between 6 and 14 years old: 3 Euro; children under 6: free). There is a family discount for 1 or 2 adults with up to 4 children: 13 Euro. A combi-ticket with the Anthropology and Ethnology Museum and the Geology and Mineralogy Museum plus the Botanical Gardens is 10 Euro (5 Euro for children between 6 and 14 years old) and is valid for three months.
History and description
The collection was created by members of the Medici family, which is omnipresent in Florence‘s artistic and scientific life (although in this case they are later descendants of the family).
More than 50 thousand stones and jewels from all over the world in different colours and sizes can be seen here (and in some cases also touched). The 151 kilo weighing topaz is the second largest in the world.