Museo del Risorgimento

Milan's Museum of the Risorgimento occupies Palazzo Moriggia, a neoclassical residence designed by Giuseppe Piermarini in the Brera quarter. Its objects and images trace Italian history from Napoleon's first campaign in 1796 to the annexation of Rome in 1870.

Why it matters

The collection places Milan within the wider story of national unification. Paintings, prints, sculpture, weapons and memorabilia reveal both political events and the ways those events were remembered. The associated library and archive connect the museum's commemorative origins with historical research.

What to notice

Military objects and personal relics give a material dimension to the wars and volunteer movements of the nineteenth century. Paintings and printed images show how patriotic figures and episodes acquired a public identity. The Five Days of Milan in March 1848 are a particularly important local chapter in this larger narrative.

Context and history

The collection originated in 1884, when Milanese historical material was gathered for an exhibition in Turin. Palazzo Moriggia was designed in 1775 and later housed Napoleonic ministries. After passing to the De Marchi family, it was donated to the city and became the museum's home in the mid-twentieth century.