In 1500 few Europeans regarded nature as a subject worthy of inquiry. Yet years later the first museums of natural history had appeared in Italy, dedicated to the marvels of nature. Drawing on archives of visitors' books, letters, and pleas for patronage, this title reconstructs the lost social worl...

In 1500 few Europeans regarded nature as a subject worthy of inquiry. Yet years later the first museums of natural history had appeared in Italy, dedicated to the marvels of nature. Drawing on archives of visitors' books, letters, and pleas for patronage, this title reconstructs the lost social world of Renaissance and Baroque museums.