The history of Museum of Geology and Paleonthology and of Museum of Mineralogy has been for a long time the same as the history of the others Museum of University.

All naturalistic museums and the museum of Archaeological Sciences and museum of Arts were born from the ancient core of the "Museo Vallisneriano". This one, consisting on rich naturalistic, archaeological and artistic collections, was property of the famous physician Antonio Vallisneri (1661-1730). Antonio Vallisneri junior, in 1733, gave the collections to the Magistrate of Reformers of the Study of Padova.

These collections merged at Bo building into one museum, which was named of "Cabinet of Natural History", and retained this name until the end of 1700. In 1805 the subdivision of collections was started, as a consequence of splitting of the different teachings.

The separation of geopaleonthological collections from the mineralistic ones occured in two different times. The first phase was accomplished in 1869, when the chair of Natural History was divided in two: chair of Mineralogy and Geology and chair of Zoology and Compared Anatomy. The divisions of teachings caused the division of collections. The chair of MIneralogy and Geology was entrusted to Prof. Giovanni Omboni (1829-1910); the seat of museum of Geology, Paleonthology and Mineralogy stayed in the Bo building. The second phase was accomplished in 1882 when Prof. Omboni proposed the separation of teaching of Geology from teaching of MIneralogy, in such a way that the organization of studies of our University was aligned to the one of the others Italian Universities. The chair and the collections of Mineralogy were entrusted the next year to Prof. Ruggero Panebianco (1848-1930).

The two museums followed the successive developments:

Museum of Geology and Paleonthology stayed at Bo building (headquarter of University of Padova) until 1932. In that year all the assets of the museum were transfered to the present seat of Palazzo Cavalli, n.1 Via Giotto. The arrangement and exhibition in the rooms is the one adopted at that time.

The museum is divided in four sections:

1 - plants fossils

2 - invertebrate fossils

3 - vertebrate fossils (about 6000 samples)

4 - rock samples from italian Alps

The geopaleonthological collections have been continuosly enhanced by the researchers in the turn of years. In 1800's, in particular, worth of note are the purchases and donations occured thanks to Tommaso Antonio Catullo, Achille De Zigno, Roberto De Visiani, Giovanni Omboni, Giorgio Dal Piaz. In the last century, instead, the collections were enhanced by Ramiro Fabiani and Giambattista Dal Piaz. 

The Museum of Mineralogy too was enhanced by many donations from important collectors and researchers of that time.

In the beginning of 1920's the Cabinet of Mineralogy was moved from Bo building to some accomodations of Via Jappelli, waiting a new seat.

In 1932 the new seat was assigned and the collections were transfered into the historical building placed in Garibaldi Avenue. Prof. Angelo Bianchi, who replaced Prof. Panebianco, gave further drive to the museum with the acquisition of the precious mineralogistic collection Gasser (1935). In 1966 the mineralogistic-petrographic patrimony was finally organized and placed, thanks to Prof. Bianchi himself, in the rooms of the new building, risen to connect the building with the adjacent museum of Geology and Paleonthology.