Cabinets of curiosity were museums in miniature, combining books, fossils, antiquarian and natural history objects. While in Naples to meet della Porta, Cesi met Ferrante Imperato. Imperato held in his remarkable cabinet of curiosities a manuscript copy of the natural history of Mexico by Hernandez. In an engraving, Imperato’s son Francesco points out the marvels of the cabinet to visitors. Fabio Colonna, a member of the Lincei who worked on the Hernandez manuscript, studied with Imperato in Naples.