Museo della Grande Guerra di Cividale del Friuli

Cividale's Great War Museum occupies the town's former railway station and documents the conflict in the Natisone valleys through objects, models and reconstructions.

Why it matters

The mountains east of Cividale formed part of the First World War front. Created in 2015 by volunteers from the local Associazione Nazionale Alpini section, the museum presents the experiences of soldiers and civilians from the armies that fought on the Italian front. Its location in the former station connects the collection with the military railway that once ran from Cividale toward Caporetto.

What to notice

A reconstructed trench and first-aid post evoke frontline conditions, while a scale model represents the narrow-gauge military railway to Caporetto. Uniforms, weapons and other relics from opposing armies accompany material on wartime life. The collection also uses library and multimedia resources to interpret the conflict.

Context and history

The Udine-Cividale railway opened in 1886. During the First World War, a military branch toward Caporetto was built and remained in service until 1932. Rail traffic moved to a new station in 2008. Alpini volunteers established the museum in the historic building in 2015, focusing on the Great War across the Natisone and Torre valleys and the 1917 retreat. The museum has been closed during renovation of the station since 2024.