The Garibaldi National Memorial Museum was erected on a House of Savoy stronghold from the 1900s. The Arbuticci Fortress, a stronghold of the Navy up until the Second World War, was converted in 2012, thanks to considerable restoration work, in the first museum in Italy entirely dedicated to a historical figure: Giuseppe Garibaldi. The architect Pietro Carlo Pellegrini was responsible for the redevelopment work which blends restoration and preservation with a contemporary research project always ready to converse with local historical and architectural traditions and the surrounding area. It was opened by the Prime Minister in 2012 during the celebrations for Italian Unity.
It covers an area of 800 square metres and uses the four main units of the fortress: the Museum is divided into thirteen sections, each one dedicated to a period or important aspect of the General’s life, and houses aroundtwo hundred pieces including works and documents. Mario Birardi’s collection is also housed here. The museum has multi-media equipment and solutions that require interaction with the public: the illustrated graphics, the sound and visual offerings provide a virtual journey through the life and endeavours of the Hero. Together with the Garibaldi Museum (approx. 4 km away), it is part of Caprera’s Museum System.
