Trieste, San Giusto

Located inside the Casa del Capitano (Captain's House), the museum houses a collection of both white and firearms: on the ground floor, cannons (16th-17th century) reconstructed in their most damaged parts; along the double flight of steps leading to the first floor, the walls are decorated with numerous auction weapons from the 16th and 17th centuries; on the second floor, in the patrol walkways, the main nucleus of the collection comes from private donations by the Caprin and Sartorio families. Arranged here in the 1930s, the exhibition allows visitors to admire the evolution of both Italian and European weapons from the 12th to the 19th century: armour, swords, daggers, foils, pistols have been skilfully alternated with furniture and sculptures from different periods and origins. A 15th century carved wooden wedding chest is admirable.

In order to create a reception room in the castle, furniture was purchased with which Giuseppe Caprin (1843-1904) furnished his 'Sala Veneta', a meeting place for intellectuals in the second half of the 19th century. On the first floor of the building one can thus appreciate, in addition to the imposing furnishings, paintings from the 16th-18th centuries and, on the ceiling, a large canvas by Andrea Celesti (1637-1712) depicting the Triumph of Venice. Finally, it is worth noting the presence on the ground floor of a small chapel with examples of wooden sculpture (probably from the 16th century) and paintings decorating the room, as well as the traditional symbol of the city, the Melon, originally a decorative element sculpted in the round and placed on the spire of the cathedral bell tower (1343).