The Sixteenth-century building of the Ospedale Santo Spirito, which in Medieval ages was a stop place for the pillgrims who were on their way to Rome, hosts in its wide rooms the Geologic Museum "G. Cortesi".
Known around the world bacause of the conservation of the abundant fossil fauna from the "Piacenziano" soil (soils with a sea origin between 3,5 and 2,5 milions years ago), the Museum hosts different types of collections which allow to follow the Padano basin evolutive history, from when this area was competly covered by the sea until the humans apperance.
Between the findings there are fossil of local molluscs (over one thousand exhibited), but in particular the great remnants of whales and dolphins, found on the calanchive slopes which surrounding the ancient Castell'Arquato medieval village.
The central museum room is entire dedicated to the great cetacean remnants between which there is a rare fossil skull of whales and several specimens of odontoceti.
In the next room, there is a series of finds of the Quaternario Padano, between which a skull of rhinoceros and some skeletal parts of bear.
