The Museum of Geography of the University of Padua: exploring the past legacy, measuring present challenges, telling future objectives

How can a series of teaching practices and geographical instruments turn into a museum’s collection? Where does the project of a Museum of Geography start and how does it actually take place? This article aims to retrace the phases that led to the opening of the Museum of Geography of the University of Padua in December 2019. The University of Padua was one of the first Italian academic institutions to establish a Chair of Geography in 1872, and the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the chair provides a perfect opportunity to make a first assessment of the museum’s life and to present it to a wider community. On this occasion, the article keeps trace of the museum’s historical roots, presents its main educational and dissemination activities, and sketches its future agenda. After a brief Introduction, in the first section the historical presentation of Paduan academic geography, the scientific, logistic, and social dimensions are considered along which the museum’s planning developed. An overview on the museum’s tangible and intangible heritage is then followed by a virtual visit to its three main halls. In the second part of the article, the museum’s opening is considered within the framework of the general effects of the pandemic on the life of public cultural institutions. The final part is dedicated to the objectives of the museum, especially in the field of geographical education.