Natural History Museum of Nice / e-ReColNat Infrastructure

Born from the merging of the collections of two naturalists from Nice, Jean-Baptiste Vérany and Jean-Baptiste Barla, the Natural History Museum of Nice is today rich of more than 1 million specimens, which cover the 3 areas of the natural history (botany, zoology and geology).

The botanical collection of The Natural History Museum of Nice encompass over 300,000 items. In addition to the plants and fungi herbaria, the Museum of Nice preserves several collections such as: the seeds collections, the fruits collections (dry and in fluids), the fungi collections (casts and in fluids), and the wood collections.

Although the oldest herbarium dates back to 1789, the main botanical specimens are plants and fungi collected during the 19th and the 20th centuries, by over 30 botanists whose collections were then acquired by the Museum.

The most significant plants herbaria are: the Barla collection, the Montolivo collection, the Vallot collection, the Gavelle collection, the Luquet collection, the Battersby collection, the Holden collection, the Dujardin-Beaumetz collection, the Sarato collection and the Risso collection. In regards to mycology, the Barla and Trimbach sets are the most important.

Along these acquired collections, the Museum of Nice always engaged in activities aiming to enhance the collections, with collects conducted by the staff and the scientific attachés of the institution. These are still ongoing today.

The botanical specimens originate from the Nice region, its close surroundings, and countries around the Mediterranean basin and the Alps region. Samples of more exotic origins are added to these main localities.

Contact
Olivier Gerriet : olivier.gerriet@ville-nice.fr