Aldrovandi

Aldrovandi is an Italian surname historically associated with Bologna and with a patrician family that played a notable role in the city’s cultural and intellectual life. The name is most closely linked to Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522–1605), a physician and naturalist who is regarded as a founder of modern natural history. Aldrovandi devoted his career to collecting, describing, and illustrating the natural world, assembling an extensive cabinet of specimens and publishing numerous volumes on plants, animals, and other natural phenomena. His work helped establish systematic approaches to natural history during the late Renaissance and influenced subsequent generations of scholars.

The collection Ulisse Aldrovandi built became a cornerstone of Bologna’s early natural history enterprise. After his death, his materials and specimens contributed to the development of the Aldrovandi collections, which are associated with Bologna’s natural history institutions and archives. These collections and the related publications played a role in shaping the study and documentation of biodiversity in Italy and beyond.

Beyond Ulisse, the Aldrovandi name denotes a historically prominent Bologna family involved in public life, learning, and church affairs, contributing to the city’s cultural and intellectual milieu. In modern contexts, the surname remains part of Italian genealogical and onomastic records, reflecting Bologna’s long-standing historical influence.

See also: Aldrovandi collections, University of Bologna, Museo di Storia Naturale di Bologna.