Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento

The Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento occupies Palazzo Carignano at Via Accademia delle Scienze 5 in Turin, Piedmont, Italy. It is the oldest and one of the largest museums dedicated to the Italian unification movement, known as the Risorgimento, and it opened in 1878 after the death of Victor Emmanuel II. The choice of Palazzo Carignano was symbolic, since the building had been the seat of the Subalpine Parliament and the first Italian Parliament in 1861, and Victor Emmanuel II was born there.

The collection covers the period from the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era to the capture of Rome in 1870. It includes paintings, prints, flags, uniforms, weapons, manuscripts, letters, medals and everyday objects connected to the protagonists of unification such as Cavour, Garibaldi, Mazzini and the Savoy kings. The displays also record the revolutionary movements of 1820-21, 1831 and 1848, the wars of independence and the Expedition of the Thousand.

The museum is arranged chronologically in a series of rooms, with thematic sections and contextual labels. Several rooms are in the Baroque palace itself, decorated with stucco and painted ceilings, and the historic chambers of the Subalpine Parliament and the Italian Parliament form part of the visit. This setting means that the building is an exhibit alongside the collection, and the approach is immersive.

The museum was renovated for the 150th anniversary of Italian unification in 2011, when new displays, multimedia and a modernised layout were introduced. Conservation of the palace and the collection is ongoing. Admission is about EUR 10, with a reduced rate of EUR 8, and opening is generally Tuesday to Sunday from around 10AM to 6PM. Confirm at museorisorgimentotorino.it or on +39 011 5621147.