Museo del Risorgimento e della Resistenza

About the museum

The museum is housed in Villa Guiccioli, on the Ambellicopoli hill near Monte Berico, the site of clashes between Austrian and Italian troops in 1848. In 1788 the property passed from the Countesses Bombarda to Antonio Marchiori and in 1794 to the mint master Marino Ambellicopoli, after whom the hill is named. The villa is said to have been built around 1799 by the architect Giannantonio Selva. In 1853 Marquis Ignazio Guiccioli bought the complex, to which the present name is due.

In 1935 the Comune di Vicenza bought the villa to set up a historical museum of the Risorgimento and of the War. The collections, described as unique at national level, include prints, manuscripts, flags, weapons, coins, medals and maps, and document the period from Napoleon's first Italian campaign (1796) to the Liberation (1945).

The most important nucleus is the Raccolta Gabriele Fantoni (Gabriele Fantoni Collection), donated to the city between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. It contains proclamations of the Venetian government of 1848–1849, patriotic hymns and songs, periodicals and about 4,000 pamphlets. The museum also holds the correspondence of the Comitato Politico Veneto Lombardo (1860–1866).

The route develops over two floors in five rooms, from the fall of the Republic of Venice and the Lombardy-Venetia kingdom to the Risorgimento and the Vicenza revolt of 1848, the wars of independence, the First World War, Fascism, the Second World War and the Resistance, with a tactile route. A historic park of about four hectares extends around the villa.

Key themes

• Raccolta Gabriele Fantoni with proclamations of 1848–1849 and about 4,000 pamphlets
• Route through five rooms from the Risorgimento to the Resistance
• Correspondence of the Comitato Politico Veneto Lombardo (1860–1866)
• Historic park of about four hectares with monumental trees
• Tactile route “Vicenza Inclusion” and 3D reproductions of five works

Permanent exhibition

• Percorso espositivo permanente – Five rooms over two floors, from the Risorgimento and the 1848 Vicenza uprising to the First World War, Fascism and the Resistance.

Operated by

Comune di Vicenza – Musei Civici

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

People with reduced mobility can drive up to the entrance if they notify the museum by email. The main entrance has 2 steps, but a side door with a bell is available. The lift (90 cm door, 138×147 cm car) connects the two floors; the rooms on the first floor are connected by ramps with handrails. The indoor toilets are in the basement and reachable only by stairs; a toilet for people with disabilities is in the park. A guide in AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), 3D reproductions of five works, a tactile route, chairs along the route and a cloakroom for school groups are available.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

People with reduced mobility can reach the entrance by car if they notify the museum by email.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Cloakroom for school groups; library consultable by appointment.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit