The Museum of Tropical Medicine of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, an international support for the Italian colonial policy between 1930 and 1943
The Museum of Tropical Medicine of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, an international support for the Italian colonial policy between 1930 and 1943

Summary/Abstract: The article reconstructs the history of the Museum of Tropical Medicine of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, created by Giuseppe Franchini, professor of Colonial Pathology, who moved from Bologna to Modena in 1930. At the University of Modena, thanks to the financial support of the city authorities, Franchini was able to give adequate accommodation to the Museum, unique in Italyand of great international importance, which was expanding and acquiring specimens from various parts of the world. The history of the Museum is related to their transfers and rearrangements: the reconstruction of its history is an indispensable first step of a modern and engaging setting up which should mainly valorize the scientific and multidisciplinary context of the collections, with specific reference to the studies and researches on tropical medicine, parasitology and also on the infectious diseases that the coronavirus epidemic has made very topical all over the world. Secondly, the rearrangement of the Museum should be an opportunity to critically present the historical context that was decisive for the realization and progressive expansion of this museum which, alongside the laboratories, was part of the educational infrastructure available to doctors, veterinarians, nurses, and missionaries active in the colonies as well as in the Modena University Clinic. Another aspect that should not be overlooked is that it also served the propaganda of the Fascist colonial policy, supported by the leader Benito Mussolini, who wanted to safeguard the health of those who worked in the African continent. Lastly, the reorganization of the museum should aid the reinterpretation of the multicultural contexts attested to by the geographical breadth of its holdings, by giving a voice to the migrants who join our communities and by facilitating their social inclusion through direct dialogue and common initiatives. The Museum’s redevelopment project is part of a larger endeavor, Ago Modena Fabbriche Culturali, funded by the Modena Foundation, which envisages the redevelopment for cultural purposes of the entire large area of the complex of buildings called Sant’Agostino and in particular the relocation of some University Museums to the buildings overlooking via Berengario that were built by the University of Modena between the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to house medical clinics.

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