International Red Cross Museum, Humanitarian history museum in Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy.
This museum occupies a palazzo and displays medical instruments, clothing, vehicles, and written records that trace how humanitarian relief evolved over time. The collection shows the practical work of organized aid through different periods and locations around the world.
The museum was founded in 1959 in a building that served as a center for organizing relief after a major 1859 conflict. This turning point led to the creation of a new system for coordinated humanitarian response that later spread across the globe.
This place marks where the organized idea of helping the wounded first took shape, and visitors can see how that vision changed the way people respond to suffering. The building itself became a symbol of this commitment to humanitarian action across borders and time.
The building is located in the town center and opens from Tuesday through Sunday with adjusted hours depending on the season. Allow several hours to walk through the exhibition and take in the many objects and documents on display.
The collection includes two of Italy's oldest working ambulances from the late 1920s and early 1930s, showing how emergency medical care was organized during that period. These vehicles represent actual machines that were sent into the field to help people in crisis.
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