Those events are so important that they cannot passed unnoticed, and Rome, indeed, will celebrate the great biologist, geologist and zoologist with a special exhibition: Darwin 1809 - 2009, from the 12th February to the 3rd May at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni, the widest interdisciplinary exhibitory space of the city. The event originates from an exhibition dedicated to Darwin organised by the American Museum of Natural History of New York, which has already been held in various cities all over the world. Now it is Italy's turn (after Rome the exhibition will be held also in Milan), and for this occasion the exhibition will include some sections revealing Darwin's relationship with Italy, how he was influenced by some Italian scientists, like Gian Battista Brocchi, and how his theory was considered in that country. The exhibition will also comprise many other sections, which will give visitors the possibility to go through the biography of the British scientist, focusing on the essential episodes that helped him to develop his famous theory.



The exhibition starts with a section describing the world before Darwin: through naturalistic illustrations of that time and skeletons of animals, visitors will understand the world view in Victorian times, and how world and nature were considered by scientists. We will find out that people did not think that there were connections between different species, and that those species could change in time. Hence we can understand the revolutionary significance of Darwin's theory.

After this excursus on the culture of the time, the exhibition focuses on Darwin, his life and his studies. The section dedicated to Darwin as a young naturalist gives us the possibility to view objects of the time, as well as copies of species collected by Darwin and of his drawings and letters, which make us understand how the young student began to be keen on observing nature. But the main part of the exhibition is that dedicated to the journey that Darwin took around the world on the Beagle, and which, for around 5 years, from 1831 to 1836, gave him the possibility to observe and study a number of different species of animals, plants, insects and stones, giving him the main ideas to develop is theory. To make visitors experience that amazing journey, the exhibition will feature some notes and letters written by Darwin to its family and friends, which reveal how the scientist began to get near to the theory of evolution. Visitors will also have the possibility to see fossils and living animals (iguanas, armadillos and turtles), as well as reproductions of extinct animals, like the giant glyptodont, which will make them immerse themselves in the world that fascinated and inspired Darwin.

Other sections of the exhibition tell us how, after having come back from his journey, Darwin organised his writings to set up his theory, and how he decided to leave London and move to Down House, in a small village, where he finished his work on the origin of species, which is still at the basis of evolution studies. To understand the importance of that work and to show how Darwin's studies are still useful in many branches of science, a section of the exhibition will be dedicated to nowadays knowledge about evolution.

Thanks to this extraordinary exhibition, Rome becomes the capital city of science. Do not miss this international exhibition, book now a cheap hotel in Rome.

Tickets: 12.50 euro, reduced 10.00

Date: 12th February 3rd May 2009

Location: Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Rome, Italy