Walking through this natural history museum’s 23 rooms, which house over 4 million zoological, botanical, and geological specimens from all over the world, you may recognize a familiar name. There’s Doria’s tree kangaroo, Doria’s cave beetle, and Doria’s slug, and many other species that bear the name of the prolific naturalist who founded the museum, Marquis Giacomo Doria.
An avid entomologist and herpetologist, Giacomo Doria spent the early 1860s collecting samples of various plants, insects, and animals in Persia, the Red Sea, and Tunisia. He was an influential figure in Genoa, and in 1867 the Genoa City Council unanimously approved his proposal to fund a Civic Museum of Natural History (Museo Civico di Storia Naturale), which also bears his name. Giacomo Doria served as its director until his death in 1913.
About the source
Atlas Obscura aims 'to inspire wonder and curiosity about the incredible world we all share'. You can contribute to their collection on their website.


Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato
This landscape covers five distinct wine-growing areas with outstanding landscapes and the Castle of Cavour, an emblematic name both in the development of vineyards and in Italian history. It is located in the southern part of Piedmont, between the Po R…


Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto)
The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value. The layout and disposition of the small towns and the shaping of the surrounding landscape, overcoming the disadvantages of a steep, unev…


Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli
The Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli in Genoa’s historic centre date from the late 16th and early 17th centuries when the Republic of Genoa was at the height of its financial and seafaring power. The site represents the first e…