Armeria Albicini

Civic collection of ancient weapons and armour parts from the 15th to the 19th century, donated by the Albicini family and housed in the Palazzo del Merenda in Forlì.

Opening hoursFree admission

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Limited operations (expected until 2027). The Palazzo del Merenda is undergoing a major redevelopment project (2020 to late 2027). No up-to-date information is available on when the armoury will open. Before visiting, please contact the Musei civici di Forlì.

About the museum

The Armeria Albicini grew out of a collection of weapons assembled in 1905 by Marquis Raffaello Albicini and his son Livio, who sought out pieces in the fortresses of the Forlì area. The family donated it to the civic museums of Forlì, which keep it in the Palazzo del Merenda, the former hospital Casa di Dio per gli Infermi, built in the 18th century to a design by Giuseppe Merenda.

The collection now includes more than five hundred items: the 410 in the first inventory and around a hundred similar objects added later. The items span the 15th to the 19th century and include polearms, armour parts, swords and small swords, seventeen arquebuses and a substantial group of short firearms.

Among the best-known pieces are elements of the tournament armour of Brunoro Zampeschi, lord of Forlimpopoli, and a short horse arquebus known as “Sforza Pallavicino”, dating from around 1580. In 1958 a collection of weapons and objects from the Congo, a gift from Virginia Pedriali, was installed here.

Highlights

Elements of the tournament armour of Brunoro Zampeschi
Short horse arquebus known as “Sforza Pallavicino” (c. 1580)
Collection of swords and small swords
Seventeen arquebuses and short firearms
Collection of weapons and objects from the Congo

Founded: 1905
Operated by: Comune di Forlì – Musei civici