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Ancient weapons (16th – 19th century) |
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The main nucleus of ancient weapons comes from Riccardo Caproni’s collection which was given to the Museum in 1949. Other pieces come from Giovanni Malfer’s collection, one of the founders and subsequently director of the Museum.
Although the origin of such weapons has not been documented, they are supposed to come from the land of Trentino.
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The total number of ancient weapons amounts approximately to 750 pieces and may be date back to the beginning of the sixteenth century and to the age of Napoleon. The Museum safeguards also materials prior to the sixteenth century coming from archaeological excavations.
The edged weapons form the most complete and structured set (more than 250 pieces); there are also two-handed sword, thrusting swords, cavalier swords, daggers and stilettos.
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The large group of spear weapons is of good quality and rich in different models while the collection of launch weapons is smaller.
The firearms including their accessories count approximately 200 pieces: fuse muskets, rifles and wheel guns, stone and percussion guns of the beginning of nineteenth century, flasks for the dust, bandoleers, test dust.
Currently part of the collection is on display only in the room Caproni and in the room Castles.
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Artillery |
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The artillery collection includes pieces or parts of them typical of the age from the end of the 15th century to the end of the 20th. The origin of these pieces is predominantly European but some of them come also from the Middle-East and from the Asian southeast areas.
Among the ancient artilleries stand: a bombard in forged iron; four chamber pieces in forged iron, for ancient bombards; the Thun’s gun (XVI century); some bronze “lantacas” (Indonesian artilleries); a wall gun.
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The new section Artilleries 1914-1918 exposes about forty pieces of Italian, Austro-Hungarian, German, English artillery of the First World War: bombards, mortars, howitzers and cannons.
The collection includes an Italian gun 149 mm A and exposes some very rare pieces: an Austro-Hungarian gun 83,5/60; an English howitzer 6 '' Mark 1; German Minenwerfer 76 mm M 16.
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This collection is the amplest theme-based exposition in Italy and includes also ammunitions stuff (grenades, fuses and shells).
A Skoda 30,5 cm Austro-Hungarian mortar from the Austro-Hungarian empire stands in Piazza Podestà. This is perhaps the last example of this particular type.
In the courtyard of the castle stands a rare fort gun 7 cm L /42.
The collection also includes some pieces of the Second World War: German antitank guns; Russian guns (122 and 152 mod. 37); a rare antiaircraft gun Skoda 75/50. |
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Modern weapons (twentieth century) |
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The War Museum collection of modern weapons is particularly rich and comprises: rifles and relative accessories, machine guns, guns and revolver, light machine guns. Among the edged weapons stand bayonets, daggers and swords.
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The collection of anti-person and antitank mines is particularly important and shows models from the First World conflict to nowadays. |
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Honors and Decorations |
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The Museum preserves Italian and Austro-Hungarian honors and decorations of the First World War, of the age of Colonialism and also of the Second World War.
Remarkable are the collections of Rumanian and American decorations. |
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Posters |
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Except some pieces dating back to the beginning of the nineteenth century, the collection consists of more than 1000 posters produced during the two world conflicts and in the second aftermath.
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Among the collection stand out posters concerning the propaganda campaign and those appealing to national (Austro-Hungarian and Italian) loans during the First World War, Don Rossaro’s gift of materials collected during the war in Rovigo, placards regarding the information campaign against mines and unexploded weapons, posters of the RSI and placards illustrating the German and allied occupation (Alexander proclaims); several are also those related to the elections in the second post-war period. |
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Particularly rich is also the collection of leaflets and propagandist stuff diffused during the two world conflicts from the belligerent powers (above all during the Great War), in order to motivate soldiers and discourage the enemies calling on them to surrender.
The postcards fund safeguarded in the archive of the Museum is very rich (about 20.000 pieces) and of great value for exhibitions and publications.
Part of the material is on display in the rooms of the Museum, but the greatest part of them is preserved in the archive. |
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Uniforms |
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The Museum keep about 900 uniforms of the different armies engaged in the First World War and in the Second World War. Particularly interesting is the collection of uniforms dating back to the age of colonialism.
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There is also a consistent number of modern uniforms; a special mention deserves the collection of mimetic uniforms "Alexander Cirla" recently given to the Museum by the family. |
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Models |
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The Museum holds small-scale models of artilleries and military vehicles.
Particularly rich and original (about 180 pieces) is the Sciacca’s collection of sketches given to the Museum from General Dodoli: ceramicworks representing Italian soldiers after and before the Unification of Italy. Since the beginning the Museum organized an own collection of pictorial works which has been enriched over the years.
Among the most known authors that the Museum safeguards and partially exhibits stand: Pietro Morando (Giovanni Balbis’ collection), Anselmo Bucci; Fred von Rieger; Armani; Lowered; Coelli; works of the study of Nedomansky; works created by local artists on the occasion of the show "No war" in 1993. |
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Opere pittoriche |
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Fin dai primi anni il Museo organizzò
una propria collezione di opere pittoriche, arricchitasi notevolmente
nel corso del tempo. |
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Tra gli autori più conosciuti
che il Museo conserva ed espone parzialmente: Pietro Morando (raccolta
di Giovanni Balbis), Anselmo Bucci; Federico von Rieger; Armani; Chini;
Coelli; opere dello studio di Nedomansky; opere create da artisti
trentini in occasione della mostra “No war” del 1993. |
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The daily war |
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The Museum holds a rich set of small objects made by soldiers inside the trenches while having a break or waiting for the enemy’s attack; handicraft productions illustrating war themes: (relics, knick-knacks, but also cups and glasses, vases, dishes, toys) whose purpose was clearly propagandist. |
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