San Giorgio and the dragon

The historical museum constitutes an essential testimonial of the continuous concern of the Società Economica as regards the life of this City. The Museum also has a substantial number of documents in the form of manuscripts, deeds, and minutes, all pertaining to the existence of the Società Economica and the city of Chiavari.

The Museum began to function with an exhibition on the Risorgimento held in Chiavari by the Association and the Municipality in 1938. Due to the success of the exhibition and the great amount of documents and objects donated by a number of citizens, the Museum of the Risorgimento came into existence. Twenty years later, in 1959, it was permanently placed in the Rivarola Hall ( which used to be the library reading-room) on the second floor of the Società Economica building in Via Ravaschieri, 15. In 1979 the Museum of the Risorgimento was renamed the Historical Museum.

The objects are exhibited in seven show-cases and fourteen display-cases; there are also several paintings which show past images of Chiavari as well as enlarged prints which illustrate the period of the Risorgimento in Italy and particularly, in Liguria.

The Museum, concentrates its contents, above all on the figures of Giuseppe Garibaldi, Giuseppe Mazzini, Nino and Alessandro Bixio, who were from Chiavari, and is highly considered because of the quantity as well as uniqueness of findings. There are numerous symbolic tokens regarding other famous figures, as for example King Carlo Alberto, King Vittorio Emanuele II, as well as politicians and men of letters of the nineteenth century as: Vincenzo Gioberti, Ugo Bassi, Camillo Benso of Cavour, Niccolò Tommaseo, Diego Argiroffo, G.B. Prandina, etc.

Among the documents, are those highly historical, donated by Arch. Alberto Galardi, which include parchments written by Carlo VIII, by Emanuele Filiberto, by Carlo Felice, by Camillo Cavour, by Benito Mussolini, by Gabriele D’Annunzio; and a letter  on parchment written by Pope Innocenzo IV (traslation) ( whose name was Sinibaldo Fieschi of the Earldom of Lavagna ) in 1250. We must point out that only four documents exist written by this Pope. Two show-cases are dedicated to the Rivarola family. One of them contains a parchment in which the Emperor Massimiliano confers nobility to this family of Chiavari after being their guest in 1496. (images). There are also statements of the journey undertaken to St. Petersburg by Marquis Stefano, Ambassador of the Republic of Genoa, and his stay as guest of Catherine the Great for twenty-two months, shortly before founding the Società Economica. The documents consist of travel-permits, some written in Cyrillic letters.

In the second show-case there are minutes which had been kept by Cardinal Agostino Rivarola Stefano’s brother, and secretary during three Conclaves held during the nineteenth century, during which were elected Pope Pio VIII, Pope Leone XII and Pope Gregorio XVI.

In the show-cases there are also several writings and drawings done by King Vittorio Emanuele II and his brother Francesco Ferdinando when they were boys carried out under the guidance of the Head of the Religious Lorenzo Isnardi Schools, who was their tutor. Their school progress, checked by a notary, could, if it were not sufficient, cost them the loss of inheritance to the throne.

There is also some very interesting correspondence between the Chiavari botanist Federico Delpino and Charles Darwin, as well as some cards written by Giuseppe Verdi and his wife Giuseppina Strepponi to a friend in Chiavari, a doctor of the Bellagamba family.

One can also see prints, objects, letters, portraits and photographs, which illustrate the activities of the citizens of Chiavari in the last two centuries.

Opening times: Saturday 10 am - 12 am or on other days by appointment.

MUSEUM OF THE FIGHTING-FORCES

The museum collection also spreads into other periods of history of our Republic.

The hall next to the Rivarola room, starting from 1999, contains numerous objects from the two World Wars, which were donated to the Società Economica by the Chiavari Association of War-Veterans.

The collection is made up of uniforms, weapons, proclamations, photographs and other tokens, which due to donations, continue to increase.

Opening hours: Saturday 10am - 12 am and on other days by appointment

Library 0185-363.275 - Email: info@societaeconomica.com

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