by InTrieste
Interviews: FVG governor, Massimiliano Fedriga; Brigadier General, Gabriele Vitigliano
To celebrate the 211th anniversary of Italy’s national gendarmerie, the Carabinieri, a new exhibition opened today in the heart of Trieste, offering visitors a sweeping journey through the storied history of the military police force. Hosted in the grand halls of the Regional Government’s palace overlooking Piazza Unità d’Italia, the exhibition serves as both a tribute and a testament to the Carabinieri’s enduring legacy.
Divided into four thematic sections—historical, archival, uniformological, and model-based—the show brings together an array of rare artifacts, many on loan from private collectors. Documents, uniforms, scale reproductions of service vehicles, and relics from various epochs come together to narrate the evolution of the Arma dei Carabinieri from its founding in 1814 to the present day.
“This is more than just an exhibition space,” said Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Hosting this in the seat of the regional presidency is a source of great pride and a symbol of the strong alliance we have always sought to foster between different branches of the state. This unity is essential to serving our citizens.”
The event is part of a broader slate of cultural initiatives commemorating the anniversary. Just days earlier, the city inaugurated another exhibition—this one showcasing the work of artist Adolfo Svetina—in Trieste’s Sala Comunale d’Arte. Like the Carabinieri retrospective, Svetina’s show has been incorporated into the official program of celebrations.
As Italy grapples with contemporary challenges, the exhibition offers a moment of reflection on the values of service, duty, and continuity—values that the Carabinieri have embodied for over two centuries.
