Gian Giacomo Galletti Civic Museums at San Francesco Palace - Museum of Natural Sciences

The Museum of Natural Sciences was established in 1875 by the Charity Foundation Gian Giacomo Galletti, according to the statutory and testamentary provisions of the Ossola banker G. G. Galletti (1789 –1873).

The museum's collections got underway in 1874 and were assembled by taxidermist Giulio Bazzetta.

The exhibits increased in number and value within a few years as a result of donations from local naturalists and prominent figures in the scientific culture.

The Charity Foundation continued its activities until 1983.

The property and management of the Museum then went to the Municipality of Domodossola.

The museum inaugurated its new layout in June 2021, including the restoration of all exhibits and a permanent installation of contemporary works of art by Gianluca Quaglia.

No architectural barriers.

The museum's natural history collections include:

• Mineralogy;
• Petrography;
• Palaeontology;
• Botany;
• Zoology.

The Zoology Section includes:

• invertebrates;
• fish;
• amphibians;
• reptiles;
• birds;
• mammals.

The American Section is made up of mineralogical, palaeontological and zoological specimens donated to the museum in 1881 by people from Ossola who emigrated to America.

The following collections are on display also:

• archaeology;
• sacred art;
• art;
• Roman Numismatics.

The Museum provides:

• educational activities for children;
• temporary loan of artefacts, subject to evaluation of the methods of their transportation, conservation and display.