The meteorite collection of the Museum of Mineralogy, built over more than 200 years of acquisitions and donations, is one of the most important internationally.

Among the pieces of greater historical importance, this meteorite of 52 g stands out, which fell at 1 pm on April 26, 1803 at L'Aigle (Orne, France), acquired by the Museum in 1852.

The exceptional nature of the L'Aigle meteorite is due to the fact that it is considered a watershed in the history of meteorites: before this fall there were the most disparate theories on the origin of meteorites (products deriving from distant volcanic eruptions, transported desert rocks from the wind etc.); was the scholar E. Chladni,

considered the founding father of meteoritics who, observing the fall of L'Aigle, formulated the correct theory that meteorites came from extraterrestrial bodies, mainly based on the statements of many witnesses who observed "a shower of stones thrown by a meteor".

The fragments of this meteorite, an ordinary type L6 chondrite, all belong to historical collections or important private collections; it is practically impossible nowadays to meet someone willing to deprive themselves of it, both with changes and with sales, so there are very few institutions that can boast the possession of a meteorite of such importance and the honor of being able to exhibit it for the benefit of visitors. For meteorite enthusiasts, observing a fragment of L'Aigle live is like being in front of Leonardo Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.