The virtuous anomaly: The origins of the Institute and Museum of the history of science of Florence

Abstract

The institutional and historiographical trajectory of the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence is examined through the foundational work of its first two directors, Andrea Corsini and Maria Luisa Bonelli. The analysis highlights how the Florentine institution developed a unique “anomaly” within the Italian landscape, pioneering a methodological shift that elevated scientific instruments and material culture to the status of legitimate historical documents. Utilizing unpublished archival materials, the paper illustrates how Corsini’s institutional vision and Bonelli’s expertise successfully established the history of science as an autonomous discipline grounded in its physical artifacts.