Telephone: +39 (0)6-5011885
Website: http://www.esercito.difesa.it/root/musei/museo_motorizzazione.asp
Shop: no shop present
Restaurant/refreshments: not available
Size of the museum/site: large
Year of visit: 2002
Overall rating:
Description: After a fierce 'battle' on the Italian highways we finally arrived at the gates of one of Rome's largest military bases. In fact it was so large that the guards at the gate even did not know that there was a museum with more than 300 vehicles on the premises. With some help from a few locals we tracked down the museum, and after trading our passports for a beautiful visitors-pass we were ready to explore the stunning world of Italian Motorization.
At first sight everything seemed all right. The pavilions were very neat and there were lots of vehicles displayed (a small disadvantage: all the explanations were in Italian). After visiting the first 2 pavilions however, we came to the conclusion that the other 5 pavilions packed with military vehicles were closed! After this disappointment we pulled ourselves together and went on to see what the outside-terrain situated between the pavilions had to offer: There were quite a few interesting vehicles, like the very rare German Krauss Maffei Breda (see picture below) for example. Disappointing was the state some of the vehicles were in, overgrown with a lot of high grass and other vegetation (or was this camouflage?!). We also have to warn you for the hordes of mosquitoes surrounding the vehicles (protection against vandalism?), which can provide you with nasty 'souvenirs' of your visit to the Cecchignola military base.
This museum could have earned a much higher rating if the other pavilions were open.
