Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra

About the museum

The Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra was founded in 1921 on the initiative of a group of citizens of Rovereto, with the aim of preserving the memory of the conflict that had just ended. In its first decades it offered a celebratory reading of the war, interpreted as a stage of the Risorgimento; as early as 1934 there were some thirty rooms. After the Second World War, attention focused mainly on weapons and technology.

From the mid-1980s the museum introduced temporary exhibitions, conferences and research activities, and the restoration of the castle, begun in the late 1990s, led to a rethinking of the permanent route. The seat is the fifteenth-century castle of Rovereto, a Venetian fortress that dominates the town, with towers, passages and panoramic terraces.

The collections, which have grown since 1921, include objects, documents, photographs and books on the conflicts between the 19th and 20th centuries, with particular attention to the First World War; antique and modern weapons are displayed in the castle towers. The section “Artillery 1914-1918”, in a former air-raid shelter dug into the rock, presents over forty large artillery pieces. The museum also holds a historical archive and a library of more than 45,000 volumes and pamphlets, and is managed as a Terzo settore (third-sector) organisation.

Highlights

• Permanent route on the First World War in the Castle of Rovereto
• Antique and modern weapons displayed in the towers
• Artillery 1914-1918 section with over 40 pieces
• Historical archive and library with over 45,000 volumes
• Video guide in LIS and tactile route “The Museum in Ten Objects”

Founded

1921

Operated by

Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra ETS

Visitors per year

approx. 59,916

Admission & discounts

Free admission: International Museum Day, first Sunday in November and 8 March for women; there is no free admission on the first Sunday of the month.

The ticket covers the museum, the castle, temporary exhibitions and the Artillery 1914-1918 section. Free admission also for holders of the Trentino Guest Card and Museum Pass, MITAG and ICOM members, serving teachers, group leaders, accredited journalists and tourist guides. With the ticket, a 10% discount at partner restaurants.

Accessibility

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

Physical barriers to access remain (stairs, ramps and changes in level). The route has no bright lights or sudden noises. A free video guide in LIS is available on the MobiCult app; some objects can be touched and are marked by a hand on a yellow background, with audio descriptions in the app and a tactile route “The Museum in Ten Objects”. Panels and a guide in Easy to Read language and AAC materials are available; a free kit can be picked up at the ticket office. Information: tel. +39 0464 438100 ext. 207.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Programmes for families and schools; Euregio Family Pass.

Getting there & parking

From the railway station it is about 10 minutes on foot along Corso Rosmini, Via Orefici, Via Rialto, Via della Terra and Via Castelbarco. By car from the A22, take the Rovereto Nord or Rovereto Sud exit. By bicycle, follow the Valle dell'Adige south cycle path (exit Borgo Sacco) to Piazza Podestà, where there are bicycle racks, then about 2 minutes on foot.

Amenities & dining

• Lockers

Lockers at the ticket office; the €1 coin is returned when the locker is emptied.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit