Museo Vivo della Memoria

About the museum

The museum opened on 5 October 2013 in Colle San Magno, in the Cassinate district, in a historic palazzo that housed a convent of nuns in the 18th century and later became the seat of the municipality. It tells the story of the Second World War through the memory and perspective of the civilian population, based on direct testimonies from those who lived through the months between September 1943 and May 1944.

The four battles of Cassino were among the bloodiest of the conflict and for months blocked the Allied advance towards Rome. Colle San Magno was chosen by the German army as a rear base for the front: after an initial, difficult coexistence, the population was deported and forced to take refuge in the mountains during a long winter, while the village hosted logistics services and the troops rotating to the front.

The exhibition, set up on the first floor with simple, reused materials, uses panels, large cloths, screens and multimedia stations with audio and video testimonies, alongside memorabilia, photographs and documents donated by the population. An entrance hall offers a chronology of the war and a walkable photographic carpet with RAF aerial images of Monte Cairo; other rooms deal with absence, war, memory and the postwar period. The exhibition “Partir bisogna” on emigration from the Ciociaria has been added to the route and is on the ground floor.

Highlights

• Audio and video testimonies from residents of 1943–44
• Walkable photo carpet with RAF aerial photographs of Monte Cairo
• Memorabilia and objects donated by the local population
• Documentaries on the battles of Cassino and Mignano Montelungo
• Exhibition “Partir bisogna” on emigration from the Ciociaria
• Hiking and eco-history routes on Monte Cairo

Permanent exhibition

• Percorso espositivo sulla Seconda guerra mondiale – Rooms with audio and video testimonies, memorabilia, photographs and documents on the war on the Cassino front, seen from the civilian population’s perspective.

Founded

2013

Operated by

Comune di Colle San Magno

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

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Kids & families

The museum is visited by schools, especially for the Giorno della Memoria; the route covers events of war and deportation.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the centre of Colle San Magno; from the village, paths lead to Monte Cairo and eco-history routes linked to the wartime sites.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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