Palazzo Ducale

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Piazza Matteotti, 9, Genoa, Italy 16123+39 0105574000

Category:
Sightseeing, Museums
Hours:
Tues.-Sun. 9-9 Close
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Free
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Palazzo Ducale Photo - Palazzo Ducale, Genoa, Italy

User Reviews

Antarctica in the Mediteranean

by TianjinPaul

Rotherham, United Kingdom

November 16, 2011

Best of IgoUgo The advent of the Kindle was a watershed for me in terms of my reading material. Until I went electric, I was limited by the bizarre concept of having to buy everything I read. However, as it is possible to download lots of eBooks that were ...Read more The advent of the Kindle was a watershed for me in terms of my reading material. Until I went electric, I was limited by the bizarre concept of having to buy everything I read. However, as it is possible to download lots of eBooks that were published before 1930 for free, I was able to dramatically widen my areas of interest. One of the books that cost me that I enjoyed tremendously was ‘South’, the story of Ernest Shackleton’s failed attempt to cross Antarctica. Since then, I have developed a deep interest in the history of polar exploration.

It was because of my newly-developed interest that I was immensely excited to find that the Palazzao Ducale in Genoa was hosting an exhibition on the attempts of Captain Scott and Roald Amundsen to be the first to reach the Pole. Despite my girlfriend rolling her eyes and strongly suggesting that the exhibition would be as dull as dishwater, I purchased two tickets for the bargain price of 8Euros each.

Personally, I found the exhibition fascinating. The subject matter was dealt with in great detail, with fantastic historical accuracy and with great insight. It commenced with film footage of the two expeditions – the success of the Norwegians and the tragic failure of the English - with a voice-over based on the journals of the two leaders. The audio showed how well prepared the Norwegian expedition was as opposed to the rather amateurish look of the English equivalent.

There were also displays of the type of equipment used by both teams that, again, showed the great difference between the two and emphasized the superiority of the Norwegian’s team’s approach. These displays were tremendously interactive and visual, which I found fantastic. There was a replica of the hut used by Scott’s team, which was contrasted with images of the underground village the Amundsen and his team created. There were also displays of the clothing they wore. Scott’s team wore wool, which was difficult to dry, whilst the Amundsen’s chose reindeer fur. There were patches of both materials to stroke and feel to show the difference.

The exhibition detailed the success of Amundsen and the ultimate failure of Scott in great detail and with scientific precision. It tracked the teams almost by the hour and showed the critical moments in which Amundsen succeeded and Scott failed. However, possibly the most haunting part of the display was a short animation that depicted the death of the English polar team and was narrated using words from Scott’s diary.

The final part of the exhibition was a National geographic feature on Antarctica today. It featured lots of interactive displays about the nature and modern science of the region. My girlfriend particularly enjoyed a photography display in which we could stamp on the floor to change the pictures, most of which were stunningly natural.

I was massively impressed with the exhibition. However, as my girlfriend pointed out, if you were not truly interested in the subject of polar exploration, it could be a little on the dry side. The signs were almost exclusively bi-lingual – in both English and Italian.
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Antarctica in the Mediteranean