Museo di guerra per la pace "Diego de Henriquez"

Trieste's War for Peace Museum is named for Diego de Henriquez, the local collector who assembled material connected with the two world wars. The institution uses this collection to examine twentieth-century society at war and the possibility of peace.

Why it matters

De Henriquez (1909–1974) collected weapons, photographs, diaries, books, posters and other material related to the world conflicts. The Comune acquired his collection in 1983, and the museum was formally established within Trieste's civic history and art museums in 1997. The holdings preserve records of conflict as well as objects from the founder's wide-ranging collecting practice.

What to notice

The museum's collection ranges from weapons and maps to photographs, diaries, books, posters, paintings and archival material. Highlights identified by the curators include armour plates made of Sheffield steel and a funeral carriage. Its historical interpretation includes the First World War and the experience of Trieste during wartime, using documents and objects to relate military events to social life.

Context and history

Since 2014 the museum has occupied buildings 3 and 4 of the former Duca delle Puglie barracks. Its stated purpose is to show war in order to educate for peace. The collection's range and the barracks setting place the museum within Trieste's wider civic work of preserving and interpreting the history of the twentieth century.