Museum of the Great War and the Fortress of Palmanova

Opened to the public in 1990 by the Ministry of Defence, the Palmanova Military History Museum offers visitors the opportunity to discover the history of this fascinating town on the Friulian plain.

The exhibition does not focus solely on the period of the Great War, but covers a broader timespan, from its foundation in 1593 to the present day. It provides an engaging journey through the history of this fortress city, considered by many past and present scholars to be a true jewel of military architecture.

The museum is divided into three exhibition areas: the Governor of Arms’ Palace, the outdoor fortifications, and Porta Cividale. In the first area, visitors can view artefacts that illustrate the relationship between the city and its surrounding territory, while the second showcases Palmanova’s defensive structures, including key elements such as the city gate, the bastion (an earthwork with artillery positions), and the “Napoleonic lunette”, the third fortified line built during the French occupation in the early nineteenth century.

Finally, in the upper part of Porta Cividale, within the architectural structure known as the keep, there is an indoor exhibition space displaying weapons, relics, uniforms and documents related to the military history of Palmanova, from the Venetian period (1593–1797) to the Italian period (from 1866), including the Napoleonic and Austrian phases. One section is dedicated to the Great War, when the town, then located in the rear area, housed hospitals, warehouses and a troop training camp until October 1917.