Cat. 315

Scrivere.

Quill pen

Goose feather used for writing. Giuseppe Mazzini used it in Genoa, at Felice Dagnino's house, in November 1871 to sign the Pact of Brotherhood, or the union between the Workers' Mutual Aid Societies, a union inspired by Mazzini and Saffi. The document, also on display in the museum, was then approved by the 12th Congress of Italian Workers' Societies held in Rome in November 1871. It was donated by Felice Dagnino to the municipality in 1909.

Bicycle Littorina

Bicycle with wooden frame. The Littorina produced in 1938 by the Sedazzari company of Genoa represents one of the many bicycle models made during the autarkic era with an all-wood frame. In fact, even in the production of bicycles, a palliative material was used at a time when, due to the sanctions imposed against Italy after the invasion of Ethiopia, iron was in short supply.

41

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 90; Larghezza: 69

Tela-olio

Mazzini Maria

Maria Drago, known as Maria Mazzini after her marriage to Giacomo Mazzini, was born in the 18th century and was the mother of four children, including Giuseppe Mazzini. A cultured and deeply religious woman, she was an emotional and moral reference point for her son, who was always very close to her. Her influence was decisive in the formation of Giuseppe's ethical and patriotic thinking. Born in Pegli (then an autonomous municipality) in 1774, she died in Genoa on 9 August 1852, during the exile of her son, who deeply mourned her loss.
The portrait of Maria Mazzini is an intense and sober work, depicting her in her mature years. The simple, dark clothing, devoid of ornaments, emphasises her reserve and her role as a devoted mother, a silent but fundamental figure in her son's education. The work fits into the context of the family and patriotic cult surrounding Mazzini's memory, celebrating not only the hero, but also the emotional and moral roots from which he was born. Portrait of Maria Mazzini in mature age dressed in dark clothes, seated and intent on reading a book.

Cat. 289

Tipo di misura: volume; Unità di misura: cm; Valore: 25x25 cm

Ludica

Chessboard with pieces

Two-colour cardboard chessboard with wooden pieces. The chessboard, owned by Mazzini when he was a student in Genoa in his youth, remained in the home of his sister Antonietta Massuccone, and later in that of her great-grandchildren.

Tipo di misura: altezzaxlunghezza; Unità di misura: cm; Spessore: 96x165; Tipo di misura: spessore; Unità di misura: cm; Spessore: 79

Vespa mod. 125

The scooter, equipped with a spare tire, was also light and maneuverable, versatile in the posture required of the driver, who, comfortably seated, could accommodate a second passenger. An icon par excellence of Made in Italy and of the economic boom, the Vespa, designed for Piaggio in Pontedera by aeronautical engineer Corradino D'Ascanio, represents a symbol of the operational ways in which Italian design made its mark internationally in the postwar years. Taking advantage of the industrial know-how of Piaggio, which was engaged in the war years in the production of warplanes, D'Ascanio's design for a new agile means of locomotion in fact included the use of the small starter engine of airplanes. In a short time the Vespa thus established itself as an emblem of the country's economic rebirth, and its planetary success was further strengthened, in the imagination of the time, by the spread of its image in films such as William Wyler's famous “Roman Holiday” (1953).

88

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 86; Larghezza: 86

olio su tela

Genoa 1746. Popular uprising in Portoria

The painting, in popular taste, is a reconstruction of the Balilla episode, executed, according to tradition, by a commoner, a professional colourist, who took part in the events. Comotto, in fact, was a member of the People's Headquarters that held command of the city during the uprising.
The figurative testimony presents the aftermath of the famous gesture of the Balilla, who, with his famous cry of incitement “Che l'inse?” (“Shall I start?”) and by being the first to throw a stone at the Austrians, led his fellow citizens to revolt.
The protagonist is to be identified with the boy in the centre of the composition, although for a long time there were those who thought it was the one on the left with the knife. The painting depicts the city of Genoa with a large crowd in revolt.

89

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 86; Larghezza: 86

olio su tela

Genoa 1746. Assault and capture of the Porta di San Tommaso

The Porta di San Tommaso, which no longer exists, stood at the fortified western end of the city and was occupied by the Austrians after the signing of the capitulation of Genoa on 6 September 1746. The expulsion of the enemy beyond the walls marked the definitive success of the popular insurrection.
The painting, which is largely popular in taste, is traditionally said to have been executed by a local colourist, Giuseppe Comotto, who is said to have witnessed the uprising from the earliest stages, which in fact appear in his other painting dedicated to the famous gesture of the Balilla, also exhibited in the Museum. The painting depicts the assault and capture of the Porta di San Tommaso in Genoa in 1746.

4553

Unità di misura: cm; Altezza: 50; Larghezza: 25; Lunghezza: 95

legno

Wheeled steamer “Le Sphinx”

‘Le Sphinx’ was the first French steamship built for military purposes and was armed with three long guns and eight 24-pound carronades.

It was built in Rochefort in 1829 to the design of engineer Hubert. It was 47 metres long and 8 metres wide, while on the outside the wheels were 11 metres wide and the paddle wheels were 5.98 metres in diameter. The vessel had a displacement of 777 tons and used a 160 HP steam engine, built by Fawcett of Liverpool, with which it reached a speed of 7 knots. Like all early steamships, however, she was also equipped with three masts for sailing equipment.

In 1832 she towed the pontoon “Luxor” with the Egyptian obelisk of Ramses II from Alexandria to Le Havre.

In 1845, when she was assigned to shuttle between Toulon and Algiers, she struck a reef east of Algiers and sank. Wooden model of a wheeled steamship.