Artists at war
Since the early years of its activity, the Museum has collected a collection of pictorial works, sculptures, ceramics and artistic artifacts, as well as a series of handicrafts of “Trench art”.
Among the more than 800 paintings preserved, there are some pictorial works of considerable interest made by artists who were involved in the First World War, albeit with different experiences.
This is the case of the works of Pietro Morando (which are part of the collection donated to the Museum by Giovanni Balbis and which are collected in the catalogue Men and Giants. The drawings of the front and imprisonment 1915-1918), those of Anselmo Bucci, Federico von Rieger, Ernesto Giulio Armani, Giuseppe Chini, Piero Coelli or the works from the Nedomansky studio in Vienna.
Of great value, also for its peculiarity, is the wide collection of patriotic ceramics donated by Romain and Anna Rainero which is part of the permanent tour dedicated to the nineteenth century and the Italian Risorgimento and is described in the catalogue published by the Museum Patriotic and Military Ceramics of Contemporary Italy (find out how to buy the volume).
Of great interest is also the collection of military figurines of Sciacca donated by General Natale Dodoli. Overall, the preserved ceramic artifacts exceed 700 pieces.
A separate collection consists of artifacts produced by soldiers in the trenches in their moments of pause that include everyday objects (paper cutters, razors, vases), small jewels (rings, bracelets, rosaries) or souvenir objects (crosses, squares, small sculptures).
