The University of Pavia Museo di Storia Naturale was created in 1771 by order of Maria Theresa of Austria, who appointed Lazzaro Spallanzani, holder of the chair in natural history, as its director. The collections expanded considerably under his guidance through purchases, exchanges and donations, and the museum soon became one of most famous of its kind in Europe. 

The 19th century saw a second period of splendour with further expansion of the collections, not least through the contributions of great explorers.

The museum currently houses the ancient material in different premises. The Zoology section includes thousands of stuffed birds and mammals, numerous amphibians, reptiles and fish preserved in liquid, and a very rich collection of insects. 

The Comparative Anatomy section includes preparations of organs and mounted skeletons, and the important Palaeontology section boasts over 30,000 specimens of fossil animals and plants.