The National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento is the first, the biggest and the most important among the 23 museums in Italy dedicated to the Risorgimento; and the only one which can be considered 'national' according to a 1901 law, and due to its rich and great collections. It is housed in the Palazzo Carignano in Turin.
The museum was established in 1878, shortly after Italian unification, even though it only had its first permanent exhibition in 1908. Originally located in the Mole Antonelliana, in 1938 it was moved to its current site.
Its exhibits include weapons, flags, uniforms, printed and written documents (including the original manuscript of the song Il Canto degli Italiani, dated November 10, 1847 by Goffredo Mameli, now Italian national anthem since 1946), and artworks. The new exhibition, opened on March 18, 2011, occupies about 3500 square metres across 30 rooms, and covers the real Risorgimento period, stretching from the late 18th century revolutions to the beginning of the First World War. It includes a specialized library, a prints cabinet and a documentary archive.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.