The Museo Civico del Risorgimento is housed in Palazzo Moriggia in Via Borgonovo and it exhibits relics, documents, paintings and prints depicting the history of Italy from Napoleone Bonaparte’s first campaign in Italy in 1796 to 1870, when Rome was annexed to the Italian reign. The museum was established in 1885, it was moved to Palazzo Moriggia in 1951 and the current permanent exhibition was set up in 1998.

The museum is organized in chronological order throughout 17 rooms, two being used for temporary exhibitions. Firstly are displayed relics such as the cloak Napoleon wore on the occasion of his coronation as king of Italy, his spurs and the first Italian flag. Then you’ll see General Andre Massena’s sabre, the first French officer entering the city, relics of the Cisalpina Republic, the Italian Republic and the Italian reign. The section of the museum dedicated to the Austrian dominion and the first uprisings of the Carbonari society contains a portrait of Franz Joseph I of Austria by Hayez and the death sentence, later commuted into imprisonment, of Silvio Pellico e Pietro Maroncelli.

The section dedicated to the Five Days of Milan is important for the history of the city because it exhibits relics such as the typical hat wore by the rebels and the flyers Stoppani sent beyond the Austrian front using rudimentary hot-air balloons.  In the part of the exhibition about the Roman Republic are displayed the famous paintings by Gerolamo Induno that represent in detail the most important events of the defence of Rome.