Natural history museum · Padua, Veneto, Italy · Entomology

Esapolis – Living Museum of Insects

Esapolis is a unique living museum of insects located in Padua (Padova), in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. One of the largest entomology museums in Europe open to the general public, it combines a vast collection of preserved insect specimens with live displays of exotic and local species, offering an immersive encounter with the world’s most diverse class of animals.

At a glance

Type: Living natural history museum — entomology
Period: Contemporary institution; collections spanning decades of scientific acquisition
Style: Interactive science museum with live animal displays
Location: Padua (Padova), Veneto, Italy · 45.3977° N, 11.8339° E

Overview

Esapolis distinguishes itself from traditional natural history collections by maintaining living colonies of insects and arachnids alongside its preserved specimens. Visitors can observe stick insects, rhinoceros beetles, tarantulas, butterflies, ants, and many other species in purpose-built habitats that replicate their natural environments. The museum is managed in collaboration with scientific institutions and serves as both an educational resource for schools and a destination for nature enthusiasts of all ages.

History

The museum grew out of the activities of entomological enthusiasts and educators in the Padua area who recognised the need for a public-facing institution that could communicate the scientific and ecological importance of insects to a broad audience. Over time, the collection expanded significantly, incorporating donations from private collectors and exchanges with other European natural history institutions. Today Esapolis ranks among Italy’s foremost specialist museums in its field and attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually.

What you see

The museum is structured around a series of themed rooms and terrariums, each focusing on a different insect group or ecological zone. The butterfly house hosts free-flying tropical species, while separate enclosures display leaf-cutter ant colonies at work, giant beetles from South America and Asia, and a range of camouflaged stick and leaf insects. The preserved collection is equally impressive, with display cases holding thousands of pinned specimens from every continent, including rare and endangered species. Guided tours are available and are particularly recommended for younger visitors.

Cultural significance

Insects represent over half of all known animal species on Earth, yet they remain among the least understood and most underappreciated by the public. Esapolis addresses this gap by transforming what might seem alien or unsettling into something fascinating and ecologically vital, contributing meaningfully to environmental awareness in northern Italy and beyond.

Practical information

Location: Padua (Padova), Veneto, Italy — coordinates 45.3977° N, 11.8339° E
Hours: Check the official Esapolis website for current opening times and ticket prices
School visits: Educational programmes for school groups are available; advance booking required

Getting there

Esapolis is located in the Padua area, easily reachable from the city centre. Padua railway station connects directly to Venice (20 minutes), Verona, and Milan. From the station, local buses serve the museum area. By car, Padua is accessible from the A4 Milan–Venice motorway.

Sources & resources

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This Esapolis Museum is perfect for lovers of these little creatures, including children who will have an entire area dedicated to them, Insettolandia, which offers games and educational activities, while everyone else will be able to find multimedia files and interactive activities. The museum&#39;s collections, preserved in antique showcases, are divided into various thematic sections, which show bees, silkworms, spiders, scorpions.



Esapolis is the first large insectarium in Italy and is the result of a fruitful collaboration between the Province of Padua and Butterfly Arc. Esapolis was built after the major restoration of an important building from the early 1900s that housed the most important national bacological station.



The latter is still part of the complex; is located in a building located at the rear of the main building and is an important assistance, conservation and research body of the CRA (Center for Agricultural Research) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which maintains and studies a huge heritage, over a hundred races of silkworms.

The activity of this bacological station, historically one of the most important in the world, dates back to the end of the 19th century, and the historical collections of instruments, tools, books and above all of silkworm breeds from all over the world are now part of the Esapolis Museum. .



These collections are currently among the most important in the world, so much so that they also receive constant attention from the Chinese. China, which is the historical homeland of the silkworm and the largest silk producer in the world, with the National Silk Museum of China in Hangzhou, together with distinguished scientists, professors and researchers of prestigious national and international universities, often come into contact with the curators and researchers of Esapolis.



The collections, presented in antique and valuable furniture and display cases, are already reason enough to plan a visit to the Museum.

If the historical collections and the important building are the basis of the Museum, its exhibition path is projected in multiple directions that include important and numerous living exhibits that include the micro mega world of insects, arachnids and many other small beings that form the most large animal biomass of our planet.



In Esapolis, the visitor is not a simple observer of the elements present, but the actor who is the protagonist of more or less direct interactions. In addition to the permanent exhibitions listed below, other exhibitions vary and evolve over time (such as photographic exhibitions, sculptures and various other displays).



Esapolis will captivate you through the continuous stimulation of the senses and mind with modern technological installations and interactive laboratories.

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