Museum of Risorgimento and Resistance, Ferrara
Museum of Risorgimento and Resistance (Museo del Risorgimento e della Resistenza) is dedicated to the participation of Ferrara patriots in the events of the national resistance. Unique and valuable items of local importance, since the time of the French occupation, and ending with the guerrilla struggle against the fascist regime are collected here.
History of the museum
The foundations for the creation of the museum were laid by Ferrara's participation in the exhibition of the Italian Risorgimento in Turin in 1884, and then at the exhibition in Bologna in 1888. All exhibits were collected by private individuals, collectors-enthusiasts. These donations made the core of the museum, located on the first floor of the Palazzo dei Diamanti. It was opened on March 16, 1903, in honor of 50 years since the execution of local revolutionaries Domenico Malagutti, Giacomo Succi and Luigi Parmeggiani. In 1933 the museum vacated the premises for the growing needs of an art exhibition. The exhibits were transferred to the attic of the palazzo, where they were damaged as a result of the bombing on June 6, 1944. The library and the archive were especially affected. After the war, the collections were restored, reorganized, and the museum was opened in a neighboring building on October 1, 1954. At the same time, a section on Italian resistance was added, and in 1970 the museum changed its name to the current one.
Collections of the museum
The museum has a lot of exhibits, among which there are uniforms of various periods, memorabilia, rich collection of medals, weapons, documents, flags, images and other historical relics. The entire exposition is divided into 3 parts, corresponding to different time periods:
- Risorgimento. In 2 rooms dedicated to the events of the 19th century, there are memorabilia of Garibaldi volunteers and the local regiment of bersaliers, findings from the papal fortress used as a prison and destroyed in 1859. Also there are satirical opuses of the Napoleonic occupation, patriotic leaflets, photographs, portraits, paintings of famous artists and marble busts of local heroes.
- World War I. In this part, memorabilia, documents, photographs, newspapers, diaries, posters and many other things are stored, that allowed restoration of the participation of the inhabitants of Ferrara in military events.
- Anti-fascism. Items dedicated to guerrilla warfare in World War II are exhibited in the resistance hall. This uniform, medals, flags, as well as things of city residents who served their sentence in concentration camps. The rich documentation tells about the events of that period: the courts, murders of priests, teachers and the extermination of the Jewish population of the city.
A statue of the first king of the united Italy, Victor Emmanuel II is now installed near the façade of the museum, which was originally located near the Cathedral of Saint George.
How to get there
The museum is located in the north of the central part of Ferrara, on Corso Ercole I d'Este, 19. Nearby there are Parco Massari and the University Botanical Garden. And a little south, in the heart of the city, there are the Castle of Saint Michele and the Museum of Natural History. Nearby there is a bus stop Palazzo Diamanti (routes 3, 4, 13, 310, 311, 312, 314, 390).
Opening hours: from 9:30 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00. Monday is a day off. Phone number: (+39) 0532 244949.
Admission: the price of the full ticket is 4 euro, with a discount – 2 euro. The discount applies to students (18-25), pensioners (over 65) and groups of 15 people. For children under 18 – admission is free. Data can be changed.
