Theatrum Mundi: A Wunderkammer in Arezzo Blends Naturalia, Cinema Props, and Space Artifacts

Luca Cableri, a law graduate from the University of Urbino, founded the Theatrum Mundi gallery in Arezzo in 2014 after years of collecting unusual artifacts. The gallery revives the Renaissance Wunderkammer tradition, categorizing objects into naturalia, mirabilia, exotica, and scientifica, but reinterprets them through a contemporary lens. Naturalia include fossils, shells, minerals, taxidermy animals, and dinosaur bones from Colorado excavations, notably a nearly complete Triceratops skull from 70 million years ago. Mirabilia feature Hollywood film props, such as the original robot from the adaptation of Isaac Asimov's I, Robot. Scientifica range from antique telescopes and astrolabes to authentic space suits, including the Sokol KV2 used in the 1990 Soyuz TM-10 mission and the original suit from the 1979 film Alien. Exotica encompass meteorites, one from Campo del Cielo, Argentina, dating 14 million years. The private gallery is not open to the public but hosts occasional themed events; a 2019 exhibition marked the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing. Cableri acts as a dealer, sourcing items on commission, once obtaining a lunar fragment for a Tucson billionaire (though non-commercializable). A taxidermy crocodile hangs from the ceiling, a classic Wunderkammer element. Cableri's greatest passion is space, and the gallery reflects his artistic vision as a personal cabinet of wonders.