The Museum is housed in the rooms of the piano nobile of the historic Pedrocchi Building, designed by Venetian architect Giuseppe Jappelli and bequeathed to the Municipality of Padua in 1891. The complex is a landmark of the city: on 8 February 1848 it was the scene of the uprising of the University of Padua's students against the Austrians, as evidenced by the plaque that marks the spot hit by an enemy bayonet bullet in the so-called 'White Room'.
The entrance to the upper floor, opened in 1842, is accessed via the grand staircase located in one of the building's two loggias and ends in a large niche decorated with stucco. The spaces revolve around the ballroom dedicated to Gioacchino Rossini and eclectically retrace past styles in a retro atmosphere.
The museum visit begins in the Neogothic room: the exhibition starts with the fall of the Republic of Venice (1797), foreign occupation, the subsequent uprisings of 8 February 1848, and the events that led to the foundation of the Kingdom of Italy. It continues with the years of the Great War - Padua was the capital of the Italian front after the defeat at Caporetto -, the Fascist period (also documented by archive footage) and the Resistance, concluding with the entry into effect of the Italian Constitution on 1 January 1948. One hundred and fifty years of history in which the city of Padua played a prominent role.
The exhibition includes paintings, memorabilia, artefacts, documents, posters and photographs that examine the events and the notable figures linked to the city, among them Alberto Cavalletto, an important figure of the Venetian Risorgimento; Count Giorgio Emo Capodilista, commander of the legendary II Cavalry Brigade during the First World War; citizen Giorgio Perlasca, declared Righteous Among the Nations for his actions on behalf of the many Jews saved in Hungary during 1944; and the professors and students of the University of Padua which, for its contribution to the cause of the Resistance, received the Gold Medal for Military Valour, the only example in Italy.
Opening times:
from Tuesday to Sunday: 9.30-12.30 and 15.30-18.00
.