Feline: lethal elegance

A fascinating journey in the wonderful world of the most extraordinary, elegant and beguiling Earth’s mammals

From 16 December 2017 to 13 May 2018

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At the Natural History of the Mediterranean Museum in Livorno, from December 16th 2017 to May 13th 2018 an exciting exhibition entitled 'Felines: lethal elegance' will be on display. As the title suggests, this is an opportunity to embark on a fantastic journey to discover these wonderful animals. But don’t be tricked, this is not about cute kittens: what you will see at the Livorno Natural History Museum is an exhibition that mainly concerns fascinating exotic species such as tigers, jaguars, cheetahs and of course lions. The adjective 'lethal' is not there by chance: it emphasizes how these mammals, elegant in their movements, are sure-fire killers of their unfortunate preys. Worry not, the ones at Villa Henderson di Livorno are embalmed animals and cannot harm you!

Among the events on in Livorno scheduled for the next months, this feline exhibition in Livorno is one of the most anticipated and we are sure that it will be widely appreciated by the public, just like it did at the Museum of Natural History of Calci. As it often happens with nature exhibitions in Tuscany, this one too is family-friendly and particularly fascinating for children and teenagers who will find the world of felines both exciting and interesting.

The temporary exhibition in Livorno is organized by Naturaliter, a leading company in the field of museum set-ups that makes the synergy between art, science and technology one of its strengths. Thanks to a team of artists, technicians, palaeontologists and naturalists, Naturaliter recreates animals and scenes with extremely accurate details. The exhibition at the Livorno Natural History Museum is the largest exhibition on felines ever organized in Italy: it collects as many as forty specimens in taxidermy. Do you know what this is? It is a technique of conservation of dead animals that draws its origins from the older technique of embalming. First of all it is good to specify that the taxidermy animal exhibition in Tuscany is only comprised of animals deceased for natural causes in zoos or animal sanctuaries. The skin is mounted on a kind of sculpture of the animal that faithfully reproduces the subcutaneous structure. To make the reproduction more realistic, use is made of the paws and skull of the original skeleton: the specimens are portrayed in positions typically resembling how we see them in nature ... they seem to be about to jump, run or open their jaws!

As already mentioned, the exhibit at the Natural History of the Mediterranean in Livorno includes 40 specimens, arranged in scenes that recall their natural environment with information panels, photos and videos. You will be accompanied on an imaginary journey that will delve on the amazing biological unique features of these animals: you will get to know their characteristics and their habits, you will be amazed by their incredible movement skills, you will discover the areas of origin and the habitats of the various specimens. I know you can’t wait and I bet you are dying to know which embalmed animals you will see at the taxidermy animal exhibition in Livorno. The king of the forest, his majesty the lion, the biggest predator of the African continent, could clearly not be left out. With him, there will also be the cheetah, which holds the record as the fastest land animal with a record speed of 110 km/h. It will be interesting to watch him closely to understand how his muscle can release his renowned explosive power.

At the Tuscany animal taxidermy exhibition you can also admire the clouded leopard, another interesting animal occurring from South East Asia, who tends to rest on trees in the daytime. You will also be discovering the habits of the fishing cat, the only feline that feeds exclusively on fish. At the Livorno temporary exhibition there also wonderful tiger specimens, a species that, as we all know, is in danger of extinction.

But the Livorno feline exhibition is more than just an exhibition of taxidermy animals. Skeletal and skulls finds will be exhibited to show the structural and morphological aspects of the biological evolution of felines. An entire part will be dedicated to one of the most interesting phenomena of the structure of these animals: the retractable nail. In short, among the many exhibitions in Livorno, this one will enchant all nature lovers as well as fans of animal documentaries who dream about travelling around to watch animals. This time you will not have to head to distant places... come to Tuscany instead!

Among other things, events at the Livorno Natural History Museum such as this one are also an excellent opportunity to visit it. Trust us, it's really worth it! It is housed in Villa Henderson, Livorno, built at the end of the 19th century and refurbished in the ‘80s. The Sea Room of the Livorno museum stands out with its collection of huge skeletons of cetaceans . Invertebrates represent the biggest display and there is also a botanical garden with plants and inflorescence.

Worth a visit is also Luigi Cagnolaro’s Laboratory of Biodiversity which contains 200 zoological finds divided into the sections of entomology, herbariums, malacology, archaeology, fossils, minerals, mammals and ornithology.

If you are with your kids in Livorno, the Tuscany nature exhibition at the Livorno Natural History Museum will be a perfect opportunity to spend a fantastic day with your budding naturalists. And if you really want to make a big play of your time with your kids in Livorno and amaze them, as they say, with special effects, why not book our 'Hop-on hop-off sightseeing Tour'? It will be great to visit the Venice District, Mascagni Terrace, the Sanctuary of Montenero and Fortezza Nuova traveling on the characteristic double-decker bus: a comfortable, fast and entertaining means of transport.

If you then decide to spend a few days in the beautiful pearl of the Tyrrhenian, we suggest you take a look at our tours departing from the Port of Livorno. We are sure that you will not be able to resist: Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, Pisa .... Is that enough for you? What are you waiting for? Take a feline leap and book your getaway in Tuscany!