The First National Exhibition of History of Science held in Florence from May to November, 1929, was under many respects a unique event. Organised by Andrea Corsini, Piero Ginori Conti, Antonio Garbasso, and Giorgio Abetti, it brought together almost 9000 scientific items coming from over 80 Italian cities and 200 public and private lenders. The Exhibition significantly contributed to raising awareness of the necessity of protecting the historical scientific heritage, pointing out the central role of science in the definition of the Italian cultural identity.