Museo storico Giuseppe Beccari
Military history museum in the former cavalry barracks in Voghera: 13 rooms with uniforms, weapons and memorabilia from the Napoleonic era to the 20th century.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo storico “Giuseppe Beccari” was founded in 1971 at the initiative of the Associazione Nazionale del Fante, in honour of Commendatore Giuseppe Beccari, with the aim of preserving documents, memorabilia, photographs and paintings linked to the history of Voghera. Its first home was a couple of rooms in the former registry office building in via Emilia.
Between 1975 and 1976 the museum moved to its current home, the former cavalry barracks in via Gramsci, growing from two rooms to about 1,200 square metres of exhibition space. The building was constructed between 1857 and 1864, housed cavalry regiments and, in 1944, was the scene of a partisan action. After being vacated by the military, it became a protected monument in 1966, and today it also houses municipal offices, the library and the Museo di scienze naturali.
The collection, enriched over the years by donations and by the work of the volunteers of the Associazione Amici del Museo Storico, comprises more than 5,000 items covering three centuries of Italian and European military history, from the Napoleonic wars and the Battle of Montebello up to the post-war period. The route extends over two floors, through 13 rooms; a library and a photographic archive complete the offer.
Highlights
- Uniforms, medals and decorations from 1831 to the post-war period
- More than 700 insignia of the Habsburg Empire
- Finds from the Battle of Montebello and the two world wars
- First prototype of a remote-controlled aircraft
- Rooms created from the former barracks, with part of the original flooring and stables
Permanent exhibition
- Collezioni di storia militare – Thirteen rooms across two floors with uniforms, weapons, medals, memorabilia and documents from the Napoleonic era to the post-war period.
- Founded
- 1971
- Operated by
- Associazione Amici del Museo Storico «Giuseppe Beccari»
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3members of military associations, children up to 12 years old and people aged 65 and over |
| Children & teens | €3Reduced rate up to age 12. |
| Seniors | €3Reduced rate from age 65. |
| Groups (10+ people) | –Tour with the director for groups of at least 10 people: individual ticket plus €50 per group, including at weekends. |
The ticket covers a visit to the entire exhibition with a guide.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The first floor is reached by a wide staircase; the website does not indicate lifts or alternative routes.
Kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Voghera (stazione ferroviaria)
The reference railway station is Voghera, on the Turin–Bologna and Milan–Bologna lines.
By car
Parking available
Numerous spaces in the streets around the barracks; alternatively a large square with access from via Fratelli Kennedy.
By car: A7 Milan–Genoa motorway, exit Casei Gerola; from the A21 Turin–Piacenza motorway, exit Voghera.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
There is no designated area for picnic lunches.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visits are conducted with a museum guide; it is advisable to contact the museum to book guided visits, groups and school trips. |
