Casa Militare Umberto I

About the museum

The Casa Militare Umberto I was founded by a committee set up in Milan in 1897 to raise funds and buy, from the Zerbi heirs of Saronno, the 18th-century Villa Ala Ponzone in Turate, to convert it into a retirement home for veterans of the wars of the Italian state. In 1898 King Umberto I allowed it to be named after him, and a royal decree recognised it as a non-profit body (ente morale). The first three veterans were admitted in March 1899; over more than a century the house accommodated around 3,500, until its reception activity ceased in 2004. Today it is a foundation under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence.

From the early years a museum was set up to preserve the memorabilia of the veterans housed there: weapons, documents and testimonies from the wars of independence to the Second World War. The collection, built mainly from private donations, is divided between an armoury and a museum proper, and also keeps relics of historical figures such as Garibaldi and Umberto I.

In the Sala delle Armi, dozens of Italian and foreign firearms and edged weapons are on display, from 19th-century muskets to Second World War submachine guns. The other rooms feature medals, decorations, uniforms, headgear and colonial relics.

Highlights

• Sala delle Armi with firearms and edged weapons from the Renaissance to the 20th century
• Garibaldi relics: letters, photographs, medals, a hat and the watch of the “Hero of the Two Worlds”
• Sabre of Field Marshal Radetzky
• Medieval mail coat attributed to Umberto Biancamano of Savoy
• Chandelier made from weapons of every type and period
• Bicycle of the Volunteer Cyclists and Motorists of the First World War

Permanent exhibitions

• Sala delle Armi – Dozens of Italian and foreign firearms and edged weapons, from muzzle-loading muskets to Vetterli rifles and Second World War submachine guns, with pistols, sabres and bayonets.
• Sale dei cimeli e delle uniformi – Medals, decorations, photographs, uniforms and headgear from the Risorgimento to the Second World War, with a display case of Garibaldi memorabilia.

Operated by

Fondazione Casa Militare Umberto I

Visitors per year

approx. 550

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission according to MuseiOnline (2025).

Accessibility

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Kids & families

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Getting there & parking

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Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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