Description of the attraction
Palazzo Pompeii is a magnificent palace built in Verona in the 16th century by the famous architect Michele Sanmicheli. It is located between the Porta Vittoria gate and the Ponte Navi bridge. Its lower floor is lined with simple stone, and the upper part of the facade is decorated with high windows, which the architect placed between the Doric semi-columns, a cornice with mythical masquerades and a balustrade. The entrance is in the form of an arch, over which the family coat of arms of the Pompeii family was once located. The inner courtyard of the Palazzo is asymmetrical, with a huge staircase to the right of it leading to the upper floor.
The construction of the palace lasted from 1535 to 1540 for the noble Veronese family Lavezzola. In 1579, the Palazzo was acquired by the Pompeii family, which made it their residence for the next two centuries. Hence the name of the palace. In 1833, when the Pompeii family had almost ceased to exist, the descendants of the first owners of the Palazzo donated it to the Verona City Council, which later acquired the adjacent buildings, including the Palazzo Carlotti. At the end of the 19th century, large-scale restoration work was carried out in the building, as a result of which it was connected to the nearby buildings.
Today Palazzo Pompeii is one of the largest natural history museums in Europe - Museo civico di storia naturale. The museum's collections contain unique specimens of fossilized flora and fauna found in the Monte Bolca area, minerals and precious and semi-precious stones, as well as stuffed animals and birds. The exhibits of the paleontological collection and objects of the Bronze Age brought from the vicinity of Lake Garda are of particular value.
