domenica 16 maggio 2021

Museo delle Forze Armate 1914-1945

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Last weekend I visited Museo delle Forze Armate 1914-1945 in Montecchio Maggiore (Veneto, Italy).

It is a hidden gem of our territory, a museum created by the love of Giancarlo Marin (president) and Giancarlo Cosaro (vice) and one hundred members of the Associazione Cultori della Storia delle Forze Armate and devoted to memory preservation and diffusion of the period between WW1 and WW2.

The collection is mainly composed by former Italian Army historical pieces and donations of local people whose elders joined the army. Between them a lot of intriguing histories unfold, as the first Italian woman with flight license, or the Italian aviator trying the first Roma - Tokyo raid or the howitzer who stood in Bedeschi's living room (the author of Centomila gavette di ghiaccio, an iconic autobiographic novel set during the Italian expedition against the Sovietic Union in between 1941 and 1943) and many others, which maybe I will tell someday in this blog.

Between the museum rooms you can find weapons, uniforms, guns (many of them) and also bigger vehicles as DAK motorcycles, an Humber Scout Car and USAF M115, a Sd.Kfz.251 Hanomag, some Jeeps and Willis, an L3 Italian Tank and an M15/42 and many more. Then there is an awesome project, I will deal in a separate post.

The museum is totally sustained by its Association member volunteerism and private donations, if you want support them feel free to contact them here and e follow them on social networks (Facebook and Instagram).

Pictures below!

ITALIANO

Lo scorso weekend ho visitato il Museo delle Forze Armate 1914-1945 a Montecchio Maggiore (Vicenza), una gemma nascosta nel territorio, costituito nel 2003 da Giancarlo Marin (presidente) e Giancarlo Cosaro (vice) e sostenuto dal volontariato del centinaio di volontari dell'Associazione Cultori della Storia delle Forze Armate.

Il museo è votato alla preservazione e alla diffusione della memoria del periodo tra la prima e la seconda guerra mondiale, con attenzione particolare al territorio veneto. La collezione infatti è composta principalmente da pezzi storici dismessi dall'Esercito Italiano e dalle donazioni locali, di abitanti della zona i cui avi si sono ritrovati a combattere (e non solo) tra le due guerre mondiali.

Non solo combattere: tra le teche del museo si dipanano pagine di storie poco conosciute come quelle della prima donna italiana con brevetto di pilota o del tentativo di raid aereo Roma - Tokyo o l'obice da salotto di Bedeschi (l'autore di Centomila gavette di ghiaccio, un romanzo autobiografico ambientato durante la spedizione italiana in Russia tra il 1941 and 1943) and many others, which maybe I will tell someday in this blog.

Nelle varie stanze, e nella vasta esposizione all'aperto, trovano spazio armi leggere, uniformi, cannoni e veicoli come motociclette della DAK, Humber Scout Car, USAF M115, un Sd.Kfz.251 Hanomag,  Jeeps e Willis, carri armati leggeri italiani L3 e medi M15/42 e molto altro. V'è poi un altro fantastico progetto che merita un post a parte. 

Il museo è completamente sostenuto dal volontariato dei suoi membri e dalle donazioni private, perciò se volete supportarli contattateli liberamente qui e seguirli sui social (Facebook e Instagram).

E ora un po' di foto!







domenica 9 maggio 2021

New books


Hi all,  quite a long without writing on my blog...well, life gets in the hobby.
Two big news: I got two cats, Pepe and Sally, which keep me busy (and full of fur), and I moved (always in Verona). Some weeks ago I got my new bookcase, so I decided to purchase more books to fill it! Here the picture of the last three the mailman delivered to me.


 As you can see different themes (I hope I will review the books someday):

  • East Africa 1940-1941 (Land Campaign) by Mark Sobisnky: a detailed book about an often forgotten WW2 campaign. Even if the Italian Army, cut away from the homeland, was doomed, his men's toughness and courage give the Commonwealth army a worthy opponent. Plenty of wargaming opportunities, especially for infantry-based rules. A friend of mine suggested Crossfire, I think I will give it a go when I will finish painting an Italian Army for this theatre.
    I also suggest as reading: La caduta dell’impero fascista. La guerra in Africa orientale italiana 1940-1941 by Andrea Santangelo (in Italian only).
  • A Gentleman's War or Glossy Coats and Tin Bayonets by Foley and Whiteman. I came through this on a Facebook group. The reviews were funny. I think it is a modern version of Well's Little Wars. I will try them to play Italian Risorgimento, along with Micheal Leck's Rebels and Patriots.
  • La marca nelle Crociate by Danilo Riponti (Italian). Is a collection of essays about Treviso (a town in northern Italy - Veneto) families in the X-XIII century and their involvement in Crusaders in Holy Land. The interests in Crusades pre-dates this year, thanks to prof. Raccagni involving my club (Band of Butei) in playtesting  Lion Rampant: The Crusader StatesI am trying to figure out a retinue for Lion Rampant which can be used both in Italy and in Holy Land, set at the beginning of the Communal Age, around 1150 AD. More will follow about this too (I hope).

It is all for now, feel free to comment on the blog or on Facebook if you read any of these books or have further suggestions!

Since I know you are curious about the cats:
Pepe on the left (male), Sally on the right (female)