Michele Lanzinger, founder and first director of MUSE in Trento, dies at 69

Michele Lanzinger, geologist, anthropologist, and founding director of the MUSE science museum in Trento, died at 69 after a long illness. He led the museum from its inception in 2013, collaborating with architect Renzo Piano since 2002. Under his direction, MUSE became the most visited museum in Trentino and the first in Italy to adopt a mission statement. Lanzinger previously directed the Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali from 1992. He served as president of ICOM Italia from 2023 to 2025. Tributes came from Trento's mayor Franco Ianeselli, culture assessor Francesca Gerosa, MUSE director Massimo Bernardi, and the Mart museum in Rovereto. His face will be projected nightly on MUSE's exterior.