Ever wondered what secrets lie within the study of criminal minds? The Museo di Antropologia Criminale Lombroso awaits us. This museum offers a chilling journey into the theories of Cesare Lombroso.
Cesare Lombroso founded this museum in 1876. He was a physician and anthropologist. His work focused on criminal anthropology. The Museo di Antropologia Criminale Lombroso is part of the University of Turin’s museum system.
Lombroso’s private collection formed the museum’s base. He gathered skulls and brains from soldiers. He also collected remains from Sardinian, Valtellinesi, and Piedmontese cemeteries. No day passed without him seeking to expand his collection. He searched asylums and prisons for skulls of the dead.
Initially, the collection opened to the public in 1884. It was part of an anthropology exhibition in Turin. In 1892, the medical faculty decided to establish a museum. This museum was for psychiatry and criminology. Arturo Graf called it “the first criminal museum in Europe”.
Other similar collections emerged across Italy. These collections displayed artifacts related to madness and crime. Giuseppe Sergi proposed a national museum of criminal anthropology in 1885. This proposal coincided with the first international congress.
In 1896, Lombroso’s collection moved to the Palazzo degli Istituti Anatomici. Mario Carrara, Lombroso’s son-in-law, opened it to the public in 1906. A 1909 decree ordered that crime scene evidence be sent to the museum. This decree aimed to aid research into the world of crime.
Lombroso died in 1909. He donated his body to science. Mario Carrara then directed the Museo di Antropologia Criminale Lombroso. Carrara expanded the collection. He focused on legal medicine. In 1932, Carrara was ousted for refusing to swear allegiance to Fascism.
The collection remained in Turin despite plans to move it to Rome. In 1947, it relocated to the Institute of Legal Medicine. Neglect plagued the museum for decades. Funds were lacking.
In 1985, an exhibition titled “Science and Guilt” drew 120000 visitors. This event revived public interest in Lombroso’s museum. An appeal was launched to safeguard Lombroso’s legacy.
The Museo di Antropologia Criminale Lombroso found its current home in 2009. It resides in the Palazzo degli Istituti Anatomici. The museum displays Lombroso’s personal collection. This collection reflects his theories on criminal anthropology. His theories are mainly based on the parascience of physiognomy.
The museum holds anatomical preparations and drawings. It features photographs and crime scene evidence. Crafts made by prisoners are on display. These items aimed to support Lombroso’s theory of criminal atavism. This theory is now considered unfounded.
The collection includes about 684 skulls and 27 skeletal remains. It also features 502 crime artifacts. There are restraints and death masks. The Museo di Antropologia Criminale Lombroso also possesses drawings and thousands of photos. Notably, Lombroso’s skeleton is part of the collection.
The museum tour flows through nine rooms. These rooms chronologically explore Lombroso’s research. The entrance features an introductory video.
The Museo di Antropologia Criminale Lombroso presents a controversial figure. It highlights debates about science and ethics. It challenges us to reflect on how we understand crime and human nature.