Bodies made from wax, stuffed animals and things in jars
Florence is one of my favourite city’s in Italy. It has everything, food, art, architecture, a river, amazing views and friendly people. It is also relatively small so most places are walkable.
La Specola is the oldest public museum in Europe and was founded in 1775 in the grounds of the Botanical Gardens which dates back to 1545. It has over 8 million specimens the most amazing of all are the wax anatomical sculptures. Clemente Susini was the man responsible for many of these which were often made as commissions for use as teaching aids for surgeons and others from the medical profession as well as artists who wanted detailed knowledge of the human form. They are simply amazing! The detail is incredible. The weird thing about them is the added wigs or pearls around the neck of a slightly seductive looking woman who has her chest cavity splayed open. It is no surprise that the Marquis de Sade was a keen visitor.
