The visit to the museum starts with the display of banners and flags that flapped in the wind during
the procession in Oregina on December 10, 1847. Over 30.000 patriots from all over Italy took part in this event celebrating the ousting of the Austrians out of the town in 1746, with an obvious reference to the political situation of that time..
This was the first public patriotic demonstration of the Risorgimento period: on that day the republican tricolour flag was flying and the national anthem “Fratelli d’Italia” was sung for the first time. 
From this particular perspective one can relive the history: the starting year is 1746, when Balilla kindled the Genoa upheaval. A picture by Giuseppe Comotto, one of the leaders, has not got much artistic value, but it is a precise reproduction of the Portoria episode. Its documentary value is no less important than contemporary chronicles. The immediacy and simplicity of the painter reflects the genuine atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the people that characterized the event. In the hall that is dedicated to jacobine and Napoleonic Genoa various canvas painting by Felice Guascone stand out on account of their originality; in his series of allegorical paintings, this painter, though not a first class one, was certainly a true interpreter of the feelings of the inhabitants of Genoa facing extraordinary events, from the fall of the old oligarchy
to the end of Napoleon’s myth. We can see the merriment of the populace dancing around the tree of freedom, the dismay of those who have lost their old privileges, the disillusionment caused by the fading of all that they expected from Napoleon and, finally, the sad despair of the fact that Liguria was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Restoration age fills two rooms: the first one is dedicated to the cultural figures of Genoa in those days, the leader of them all being marquis Giancarlo Dinegro in whose villa would meet not only the local intellectual people, but also outstanding travellers passing by; the second one contains documents of the historical facts ( the 1821 riots, documents related to the Young Italy movement, the 1833 and 1834 riots inspired by Mazzini, and the Bandiera brothers’ attempt to urge the people’s revolt.). The two following rooms are the ones where Mazzini lived until 1808. The relics and the various objects come from mostly working class families who gave him hospitality the few times he, as an exile, came back to Genoa or also from Mazzini’s sister’s home, Antonietta Massuccone. These are objects he usually used ( the pen, the ink-pot some books with notes written by himself), objects related to his hobbies and tastes ( the guitar, the chess board, his pipes). The poster with his death sentence, the newspapers founded or inspired by him, the most important written works, ranging from his early commonplace books to the “Doveri dell’uomo” (= the Duties of Men). The first editions of his many pamphlets and letters, often printed and given out on the quiet, make up an important repertoire that is rare and complete.
The chapters dealing with the three revolutionary years are particularly meaningful for Genoa; the central part is the hall dedicated to Goffredo Mameli. There you can see the manuscript of the Italian National Anthem (Il Canto degli Italiani), the first printed edition of the text with handwritten carrections by the author, the tricolour flag, (the symbol of a republican united Italy) was flapping in the wind
during the patriotic demonstration that took place in Genoa on December 10, 1847.
The Genoese people determination to continue their war against Austria caused a social upheaval against the Piedmont government in April 1849; its evidence and documents (trophies, posters, flags, portraits of the organizers) tell us of a chapter of our history that has never appeared in our textbooks.
The last section deals with the decade that saw the union of Italy and the year up to the time when Rome became capital city of the nation. This section takes up one large hall and makes up the most interesting part of the museum: there are the famous red shirts, one of which belonged to Garibaldi, the uniforms of the Genoese police (Carabinieri), young followers of Mazzini’s ideals being trained in the use of arms, and the banners and the weapons that belonged to them.
Also the decade that brought about the union of the country is presented in this museum from a special perspective or view point: it is not the king’s victory, but rather the sacrifice of the martyrs following Mazzini’s ideals and the heroic deeds of Garibaldi’s small army that led to the long yearned for aim.
It is the middle class and the people that make Risorgimento ( the rebirth of the nation), and this is even more so for Genoa. The king’s wars, too, are seen here from a special angle: the Crimean war, for instance, is seen through the real life drawings of Eligio Pintore, an unknown soldier, whose sketches and scenes of everyday military life present it far from the noise of battles and sudden scenes of atrocities, such as only war can make us imagine.
With the spontaneous people’s contribution to the expedition of the Thousand, the plan that Mazzini had in vain tried to carry out since 1851 now takes shape through the records and recollections of the people taking part: workers, commoners, and middle class people: a painting by Tetar Van Elven featuring the departure of the Thousand is particularly interesting. The author gives us a living portrait, as many of the
people are recognizable. It is not a special praise such as we are accustomed to read in the Risorgimento iconography; the heroes are all on the same level; Garibaldi’s figure is not particularly emphasized.
The Thousand are the subject of the painting. A glass window contains the objects that the hero of the two worlds, as Garibaldi used to be called, would use and among them, a red coat, a white linen shirt, a striped blue silk waistcoat and field glasses stand out; in 1851 these were donated to his friend Antonio Figari,
a Genoese sea captain; an 18 shooter Lefauchez revolver, that had been donated to the Genoese workers in 1869 to be put at stake as a prize for the winner of a shooting competition organized by them; it was won by Giacomo De Marini, who, in his turn donated it to this museum.. Finally, there is a sabre with a broken point, a relic of San Antonio battle in Uruguay in 1846.
Defeats seem to prevail in the decade that ended with Rome as Capital of the country: Aspromonte and Mentana are the main events. The efforts to find the money and organize upheavals to take Venice and Rome, inspired by Mazzini, have a vast documentation here. In this museum, that was originally set up by the will of the people of Genoa with donations of archives and objects belonging to important figures of the Mazzini and Garibaldi followers, there is no mention of the Porta Pia event. The last paintings deal with the death of Giuditta Tavani and with Garibaldi’s contribution to the Paris Commune.
Once Italy was made, there started a historiographical strain that has lasted for about 80 years. The Risorgimento was not supposed to have dark areas: the rebels had to be placed on the same level as the heroes; it is meaningful that at the end of the visit there is an 1882 litograph; that is the year of Garibaldi’s death: the hero of the two worlds joins in Paradise the company of the other heroes of his time: Carlo Alberto, Mazzini, Cavour, and Pio IX. All together they start a card game called “Tresette”, as the caption says. The visit to this museum allows visitors to go deeper into certain themes and learn more about some figures, thanks to the many multimedia devices available: this involves the visitor and makes him an active researcher going into deeper details and acquiring a lot more information the museum alone could never give. It allows a new approach to museum visits, an approach that is nearly ludic and more pleasant, in that it makes the user a leader of continuous research.
Here displays alternate with multimedia devices that focus on various subjects: ( The Risorgimento in movies”, “The time-line: Genoa at the centre of historical facts and Risorgimento”, “ Jacobine Genoa in a painting by Felice Guascone”, “ Genoa, the work, the people and the mutual help societies”, “ The National Anthem and the tricolour flag: artistic creativity and national identity”, “ The thousand stories, beyond the picture (the departure of the Thousand)”.
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