Museo Centrale del Risorgimento

In the museum housed in the majestic halls of the Vittoriano, works of art, diaries, letters, memorabilia and weapons retrace the long journey that led Italy to become a united and independent nation.

The idea of creating a museum in Rome dedicated to the history of the Risorgimento had already been conceived at the end of the 19th century, and the interior spaces of the gigantic monument to King Victor Emmanuel II, then still under construction, seemed almost immediately perfect for the purpose. In the 1920s, a new wing of the Vittoriano was designed facing Via dei Fori Imperiali. The project was then radically modified by Armando Brasini: the eclectic architect (who also designed the Ponte Flaminio and the entrance to the then zoological garden in Rome) transformed the portico of the Ara Coeli convent into the monumental façade of the museum, built in peperino and travertine. Work on the new exhibition wing was completed in 1935, but its inauguration had to wait until 2 October 1970, the 100th anniversary of Rome’s annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.

The museum’s current layout dates back to 2011, the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy. Since December 2020, the museum has been part of the VIVE - Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia institute. The tour begins in the 18th century and ends with the First World War, interpreted as the fourth Italian Risorgimento war of independence against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The museum’s vast collection of memorabilia allows visitors to relive the stages of Italy’s liberation and discover its protagonists. Works and memorabilia on display include for example: the blue jeans worn by Giuseppe Garibaldi during the expedition of the Thousand and the stretcher used to rescue him when he was wounded on Aspromonte; the death mask of Camillo Benso Count of Cavour and the portrait of Giuseppe Mazzini, the flag of the Roman Republic of 1849 and the uniform of a Red Cross nurse, the photograph of the breach of Porta Pia, the impressive sketch of the memorial to the fallen in the battle of 18 September 1860 (which led to the annexation of the Marche and Umbria to the Kingdom of Italy) and the gun carriage used to transport the Unknown Soldier in 1921.

Photo VIVE - Vittoriano e Palazzo Venezia