Museo Storico Giuseppe Garibaldi

The Giuseppe Garibaldi Historical Museum occupies Palazzo Olginati in Como. The palace itself forms part of the story: a plaque commemorates Garibaldi's stay here in 1866, linking a local residence with the history of Italian unification.

Why it matters

The collections place Como within the Risorgimento and the conflicts of the twentieth century. Their local perspective connects national political events with the experiences of people from the city and province. An ethnographic section adds the material culture of everyday life to the political and military narrative.

What to notice

Memorabilia associated with the uprisings of 1848–1849 and 1859 form an important part of the historical collection. Other material concerns the wars of the twentieth century. The ethnographic objects provide a contrasting record of local customs and work, broadening the museum's focus beyond military commemoration.

Context and history

Palazzo Olginati was a patrician residence before becoming a civic museum. Its association with Garibaldi helped shape the institution's commemorative identity. The historical collections extend from the Napoleonic period to the Second World War, bringing several phases of modern Italian history into a specifically Comasco setting.