Description
The Historical Museum of the National Fire Brigade, in Mantua, is Italy's largest collection of firefighting vehicles and memorabilia: three centuries of battling fires, gathered in the old stables of the Palazzo Ducale, near the tower of Sant'Alò.
The pieces come from all over Italy. The oldest date back to the early 18th century: horse-drawn carts, a steam pump and a hand pump, many of them restored and still in working order. Then there is a bicycle fitted with a hose, boats, fire engines and even a helicopter.
Alongside the vehicles are uniforms, helmets, tools, archive documents and photographs that tell how the job has changed. The museum was founded in the 1990s on the initiative of Nicola Colangelo, a former commander of the Mantua fire brigade, and is run by the brigade's provincial command.
The pieces come from all over Italy. The oldest date back to the early 18th century: horse-drawn carts, a steam pump and a hand pump, many of them restored and still in working order. Then there is a bicycle fitted with a hose, boats, fire engines and even a helicopter.
Alongside the vehicles are uniforms, helmets, tools, archive documents and photographs that tell how the job has changed. The museum was founded in the 1990s on the initiative of Nicola Colangelo, a former commander of the Mantua fire brigade, and is run by the brigade's provincial command.