Vesuvius lava collection
The Vesuvius lava collection has both historical and scientific significance. It dates back to 1895 and was assembled by Kišpatić himself according to instructions from the observatory staff on Vesuvius. At the time, it was the first collection of its kind in Europe.
The collection consists of 273 lava specimens chronologically arranged according to eruption years, from the first recorded eruption on 24 August 79 AD, during which Pompeii was destroyed, up to 1892. Organized in this way, the collection is the result of many years of research by mineralogist and petrographer Mijo Kišpatić, and it was additionally processed and protected in the late 1980s.
A revision of the material confirmed that all 273 items in the collection have been fully processed and inventoried. The collection is fully photo-documented, well preserved, and properly stored.
Collection Curator: Damir Lacković
