Technical and scientific appliances belonging to the experimental physicist of Bologna, Giovanni Aldini (1762-1834), left in his will to the Commune of Bologna together with his income to create forms of teaching mechanical physics and applied chemistry. The collection included 538 objects, some of which were built by famous engineers and physicists of the time: Megale, Bate, Geiser, Grindel, Pagani, Ludovisi.

Besides instruments for doing experiments with electricity, chemistry, mechanics, steam and geodesy, there were also measuring appliances, various machine and plant models and other technical novelties of the age. Having lost its original completeness for the purposes of teaching, the Aldini collection has reached us in a very reduced state. At present only 16 objects are recognized to have been without doubt part
of the Aldini collection.