Publisher's Synopsis
Catalogue of the show held by the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze in December 2011 to celebrate the 150 th Anniversary of Italian Unity. The volume reproduces model soldiers from the Alberto Predieri collection and elsewhere, as well as antique memorabilia from the Museo Stibbert in Florence, the Fondazione Spadolini, and private collections. The model soldiers, mostly made of lead in the standard 54-mm size, represent the armies of the pre-Unity Italian States and the early years of the army of the new unified Italian State. The most valuable include the 90-mm models of King Vittorio Emanuele II and his escort with a detachment of the Genova Cavalleria regiment. These unique pieces were made by Francesco Antonini for use in the film La contessa di Castiglione (1942). Some dioramas offer a vivid, 3D reproduction of Risorgimento highlights such as the battles of Calatafimi and Melegnano.
