Crypta Baldi, Museum of antique instruments of limnology “Edgardo Baldi”
The collection of scientific instruments preserved in the so-called Crypta Baldi is particularly important for the history of limnology. The collection was created by Roberto Bertoni, Senior Associate Scientist at CNR-IRSA, who for the collection of instruments: thermographs, thermohygrographs, bottles (of Baldi, Friedinger sampling bottles, Richard type sampling bottles, Ruttner bottle) dredgers, spectrometers, plankton samplers, microscopes, etc. – provided for their restoration and cataloguing, thus preserving an important heritage for the community.
The Crypta is located in the garden of villa De Marchi in Verbania, home of the historic Italian Institute of Hydrobiology, part of IRSA since 2018.
The Museum is located in the nineteenth-century ice-house of the villa, an artificial hypogeum that in the rich villas of the nineteenth and early twentieth century was used for the preservation of food. The building was renovated and adapted to its new function as a Museum, which today houses antique instruments of limnology, the science that for over a century has been developed in the institute.
The Crypta is dedicated to Edgardo Baldi, the first director of the Institute since its foundation in 1938.
The portal, dedicated to the Crypta, gives users the opportunity to visit virtually the Museum and see the collection of instruments complete with descriptions of their functions.
Among the sections of the portal, the Cineteca is particularly interesting being rich in downloadable content. In terms of the historical reconstruction of the scientific studies the popular film produced by Edgardo Baldi in 1939 is very important and details the research between 1937-1939 on Lake Tovel.
References
Bertoni R. (2015). “Solai e cantine dell’Idrobiologico a Pallanza. Gli antichi strumenti dei laghi”, Studi 19, Verbania, Tararà, p. 159
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