Mongiana Firearms Factory Museum, Military industrial museum in Mongiana, Italy

The Mongiana Firearms Factory Museum occupies the original Bourbon-era production building and displays firearms, manufacturing equipment, and archival documents. The exhibition traces the technical developments and manufacturing processes that defined this weapons facility.

The Mongiana ironworks complex arose between the 18th and 19th centuries under Bourbon rule, and the firearms factory belonged to this state industrial pole. Smelting ceased for good in 1872 for lack of orders, and the buildings were sold at the end of the 19th century, becoming homes and warehouses. Rediscovered in the late 1970s in a state of complete decay, the former factory was restored and reopened on 23 October 2013 as a museum.

The museum's layout follows the "Vicenda Mongiana", a narrative route through iron extraction, water power, woods and charcoal, roads, technologies and production, and the condition of the workers. Multimedia stations also document other 19th-century Calabrian industries: silk, liquorice, tuna, cannamela and bergamot.

The museum occupies the former Fabbrica d'Armi, rediscovered in the late 1970s in a state of complete decay and restored by October 2013. The restoration was coordinated by architect Gennaro Matacena for RA Consulting srl. Inside, the layout is flexible and includes interactive digital installations, so allow time to move between the multimedia stations and the architectural elements.

The facade's cast-iron entablature, with two columns 4.80 metres tall and a decorated architrave, is among Italy's earliest uses of cast iron in building. In the entrance hall, a serliana of two columns and two half-columns, 2.40 metres tall and also cast iron, repeats the material.