10/10/26 – 31/01/27 . Temporary exhibition “Wider than the sky. Camillo Golgi, the man who saw the wonder of the brain”.

In 1862, Emily Dickinson wrote that the brain is “wider than the sky,” transforming human finitude into an infinite horizon. A few years later, that metaphor became visible: in Abbiategrasso, a young Camillo Golgi visualized nerve cells—revealing the wonder of the brain—by ​​perfecting the “black reaction” technique.

An exhibition is dedicated to this discovery; running from Saturday, October 10, 2026, to Sunday, January 31, 2027, it will trace the key moments of the scientist’s life and discoveries on the centenary of his death. By interweaving his personal biography with the scientific milestones of his career, the exhibition explores Golgi’s life through previously unseen documents held in the museum’s archives—including exquisitely beautiful original drawings—within a new exhibition layout that highlights the heritage preserved at the University of Pavia.

The exhibition “Wider than the Sky. Camillo Golgi, the man who saw the wonder of the brain” will be open during the museum’s regular hours and on weekends when the museum is open; guided tours of the exhibition will also be offered on specific dates.

For further information regarding the exhibition design and curation, please contact: paolo.mazzarello@unipv.it, mariacarla.garbarino@unipv.it.

Scientific Committee: Marco Malagodi, Paolo Mazzarello, Maria Carla Garbarino, Lucio Fregonese

Curators: Paolo Mazzarello, Maria Carla Garbarino, Silvia Sanza, Ester Maria Bernardi, Lucio Fregonese – con the collaboration of: Anna Aquilecchia, Tommaso Borasi, Filippo Nani