The main facade of Lazzaro Spallanzani's birthplace, facing via Magati, is characterised by harmonious Baroque architectural elements: basement windows with wide frames, brick balustrades, and first and second floor windows topped with a sumptuous cymatium. The interior features a 16th-century layout, consisting of two symmetrical buildings surrounding an internal courtyard, connected by a double loggia and a stairwell, dating back to the 18th century. The double row of loggias and the staircase are particularly noteworthy. The former consists of masonry columns and rounded arches with parapets of small loggias featuring bambocci decorations. The latter showcases decorative elements in the Baroque style: balustrade railings, floral decorations, stairheads with busts and vases, and masonry columns with finely stuccoed cornices. All this boosts extraordinary variety and ornamental richness. Here, the naturalist lived for a long time, gathering experiences and making discoveries. 
Today, it houses some municipal offices and the Spallanzani Study Centre, which set up his rich natural history museum.

How to get to Scandiano

By car: From the A1 motorway - Milan, exit at Reggio Emilia. Follow the road signs for “Reggio Emilia Centro”, “Sassuolo”, and “Scandiano”.

From the A1 motorway - Bologna, exit at the Modena-Nord, take the Via Emilia towards Milan, and follow the road signs for “Reggio Emilia”, “Rubiera”, and “Scandiano”.

By train: From both the north and south, get off at Reggio Emilia station, then take the local train on the Reggio Emilia-Sassuolo line, or you can take the bus (for information: www.actre.it).

By plane: From Bologna Airport (www.bologna-airport.it), take the train to Reggio Emilia, and from there, take the local train to Scandiano or the A1 motorway. From Milan Airport (www.sea-aeroportimilano.it), take the train to Reggio Emilia, or the A1 motorway.

Scandiano is only a few kilometers from many cities in northern and central Italy: 60km from Bologna, 35 from Parma, 20 from Modena, 13 from Reggio Emilia, 180 from the Adriatic Riviera, 160 from Milan, 90 from Ferrara, 155 from Florence, 75 from Mantua, 100 from Piacenza, 95 from Verona.