Geo-Lab - Museo laboratorio di scienze della terra

“GeoLab” Science of the Earth Museum-Laboratory The GeoLab Museo Laboratorio di Scienze della Terra is located in San Gemini, inside the former Church of the Madonna della Misericordia. The Church of the Madonna della Misericordia was built to venerate the miraculous image of the Madonna, which was found by a person living in San Gemini municipality by chance. In 1852, a hospice for the poorest people was founded inside the edifices annexed to the church. It remained active until 1922. In the following years the hospice was handed over to San Gemini Municipality. The former church has housed the Science of the Earth Museum since 1999. The Science of the Earth Museum deserves attention for its particularly innovative initiative, not only at a regional but also national level. Not only is the scientific subject a novelty, but also the way in which the visitors are introduced to and involved in the museum exhibition itinerary makes it become a live personal experience. GeoLab is the first example of an interactive museum dedicated to the science of the Earth in Italy. It is arranged into four rooms that with the help of machines, panels, and rock and fossil samples, illustrates the evolution of the Earth, from the Pangaea to the division into larges plaques, the internal structure of our planet and the main geological characteristics of Umbria. The visitor is involved in confronting the themes along the display through the use of peculiar machines capable of reproducing a tridimensional view of the interior of the Earth, showing how our planet is made deep down until the central nucleus, and a mechanism showing the tectonic movements.