National History Museum of Alpine Soldiers

The historical museum "Museo Storico degli Alpini" lies in the proximity of the remains of an Early Christian Basilica on the Doss Trento, a hill overlooking the city of Trento. The historical museum was inaugurated in a former Austrian gunpowder magazine on 15 March 1958. The dream of setting up a museum in honour of the Alpini, an alpine mountain infantry of Italy that has been defending the freedom of Trentino since its foundation, came true. The idea for its construction, however, is rooted in the trench warfare of World War 1.

Over the last 68 years the museum was frequently renovated. It obtained its current appearance thanks to the works carried out until 4 November 2021. The museum of the Alpini perfectly embodies the values of this military group: honour, sacrifice, sense of duty and love for their country. The exhibition itinerary and the findings in the Sala Medaglia d'Oro tell about the traditions, values and battles of this military group. Italy has more than 200 national heroes who were awarded the "Gold Medal of Military Valour", the highest Italian military decoration for gallantry, from the battle of Ardua on 1 March 1896 to the present day. Their names were carved into the white marble tablets standing in the Sala Medaglia d'Oro. The exhibition itinerary is easily accessible and can be completed without a guide thanks to useful technological tools. Digital boards, films and even a smartphone app allow visitors to discover the mountains and the Alpini in all their facets.

In July 2024, the National History Museum of Alpine Soldiers, a unique museum in its genre, became part of the Italian National Museum Network which is run by the Italian Ministry of Culture.