"Le raccolte della Novara. Frammenti da una circumnavigazione (1857-1859)"

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the Austrian frigate Novara’s round-the-world expedition (1857–1859), examining its organizational intent, the methodologies employed in gathering naturalistic, ethno-anthropological, and documentary specimens, and the subsequent development and legacy of these collected materials within museum collections. Framing this circumnavigation within the broader Austrian and European scientific and socio-political landscapes, the study elucidates the expedition’s significance, particularly through the colonial encounters and realities that influenced its research and collections. Further, it addresses the role of Novara’s assemblages – and similar contemporaneous collections – in enriching the holdings of prominent institutions, notably those in Vienna, while engaging with contemporary perspectives on the link between these collections and colonial memory