Mr. Rovini, passionate about history and collecting military objects, decided in the early nineties to organize and catalog all the finds he had made over the years, creating a thematic exhibition and offering the public the chance to visit it.
The opportunity arose in 1998, thanks to the collaboration of the Municipality of Roana, which made available the premises of the former Elementary School of Tresché Conca. After an intense cataloging effort, the Collection was officially inaugurated on June 28, 1998.
The exhibition includes weapons and tools, organized by types and contexts:
It ranges from trench shields to remains of everyday life, from medical materials to the prestigious collection of hand grenades from that era, one of the most complete, interesting, and well-curated in the national museum landscape.
The items change from year to year, but always with a focus on the life of the soldier in the trenches.
Notably, there is a large space dedicated to food at the front and to the tools used daily by the soldiers. These are sometimes unique objects, as they were adapted and modified according to the needs of the moment.
The wide variety of weapons used by opposing armies is well represented, with numerous calibers of artillery and hand grenades, whose array is truly exhaustive, one of the most complete among the over one hundred national museums dedicated to the First World War.
It is also worth noting that the Rovini Collection is part of the cultural project “Musei Altovicentino,” a supra-municipal entity for the promotion of museums located in the province of Vicenza.
