Bologna Toy Soldier Museum
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Toy Soldier Museum Photos
About Toy Soldier Museum
Toy Soldier Museum
In this 18th century building which was originally built by Count Giovan Francesco Aldrovandi Marescotti is the Museo del Soldatino otherwise called the Toy Soldier’s Museum.
These first few displays on the right showing French soldiers are made from paper and date to 1820.
The first ones made from metal actually came about in the mid 1700’s and where produced in Nuremburg by JG Hilpert and were also flat and measured between 30-40mm’s long.
These next exhibits made by Franz Mittmann in 1910 shows Prussian soldiers from the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.
This museum holds one of the biggest collections of toy soldiers in Europe after Kulmback in Bavaria and Compiegne near Paris.
There are 12,500 pieces here illustrating the history of children’s toy soldiers from many countries since the mid 1700s until the present time. Important here are also the costumes and uniforms of the armies throughout the centuries which not only vary in splendour and colour but tell the story of cultures and conflicts. They tell the histories of battle from Assiri to the recent Gulf Wars.
And the exhibits are not just of soldiers but include the navy and sea-faring combatants. There were many artists who contributed to producing, painting or inspiring these pieces and from many countries around the world. Some of those include Ditta Lehmann from Germany, Marca JEP from France, Fleischmann, HC Andersen to name but a few.
One of the most important pieces on display although only on special occasions are the 10 soldiers that belonged to Napoleon’s son, the King of Rome, which are unfortunatelt not presently available.
This particular display shows the various uniforms and fighting units of British Imperialism against the Zulus, in Afghanistan and India.
There’s also a special area dedicated to Italian soldiers particularly for the Risorgimento which was the drive for political unity between 1815 and 1861. Photographs of serving Generals and leaders are shown next to the actual exhibits.
Of course the museum is not only for illustration purposes because it collaborates with others in order to facilitate exhibitions. It’s here too that the stories of childhood and toys through didactics are encouraged and shared. For example, this museum has had numerous successful events through collaboration with the Commune of Vittorio, Veneto, Treviso, Florence, Cagliari and Modena.
Furthermore, today the fame of the Toy Soldier Museum is known throughout Europe since visitors and delegations now come from everywhere such as England, Spain, Germany, Hungary and the US.
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