Press release no. 34/2020 MUSEUMS: THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF THE ITALIAN AIR FORCE REOPENS TO THE PUBLIC Following renovation work, the Vigna di Valle Museum reopens with major new features, which preview those that will be realised for the 2023 AM Centenary. From 31 October, the Italian Air Force Historical Museumwill once again be open to the public following a period of refurbishment and modernisation of its exhibition facilities, which will enable visitors to fully appreciate the aircraft and artefacts that tell the story of military aviation in Italy and that of the men and women who played a leading role in it. The Chief of the Air Force General Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alberto Rosso, symbolically reopened the museum’s doors during a low-key ceremony held this morning at Vigna di Valle, in the presence of local authorities and a small delegation from the Armed Forces. “Understanding the foundations – the bedrock of our history – helps us to look to our future in the best and most professional way possible. When we see a piece of our history, we see not just the physical object but the value it embodies.” With these words, General Rosso sought to emphasise the importance of keeping alive, today as in the past, the values that characterise the institutions and the Armed Forces, “committed to serving our country to the best of our ability, with passion, expertise and a shared purpose”. “Reopening the Museum, despite all the restrictions imposed by this difficult period,” continued General Rosso, “is even more important now that we are approaching a key milestone for our Armed Forces: the celebration of our centenary. 2023 may seem a long way off, but not that far. Today’s event is a small step towards building a path that brings us ever closer to celebrating our centenary.” On this occasion, the last two Italian Air Force aircraft were unveiled, thus officially becoming part of the Museum’s exhibition collection: the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the Breguet 1150 Atlantic, two aircraft that have played a significant role in the contemporary history of the Armed Forces, respectively in the field of air defence – where the F-16 served between the F-104’s withdrawal from service in 2004 and the introduction of the Eurofighter, in 2012 – and in the field of anti-submarine aerial patrol, where the Atlantic provided surveillance of the Mediterranean Sea throughout its 45-year operational life, from 1972 to 2017. In 2018, the very last Atlantic aircraft was the centrepiece of a spectacular transfer from Pratica di Mare Airport to Vigna di Valle, carried out by a helicopter from the National Fire Brigade, which transported the aircraft in flight using a special sling. The Museum, situated in Vigna di Valle on Lake Bracciano, will be open to visitors every day from 31 October, from 10.00 to 16.00 (except on weekday Mondays, 1 January, Easter Sunday and 25 December), with free admission and access regulated in accordance with COVID-19 containment regulations. Subject to prior booking, free guided tours will also be available for organised groups. Access to the museum will be permitted exclusively via the military entrance on Via Circumlacuale in Bracciano. The Italian Air Force Historical Museum, inaugurated in 1977 by the President of the Republic, Giovanni Leone, with its 13,000 square metres of covered exhibition space, is one of the largest and most interesting aviation museums in the world. Its mission is to collect, restore, preserve, exhibit and promote aeronautical material of historical and documentary interest, sourced from discoveries or donations by private individuals. Through a wide range of internal and external activities, it also serves as a driving force for aviation history and culture, from both a scientific and an educational and public outreach perspective. The Museum is spread across four large exhibition halls and houses around 80 aircraft, as well as a substantial collection of engines and aviation artefacts of various kinds, which recount, in chronological order, the history of military aviation in Italy and that of the men and women who played a leading role in it. The exhibition route winds its way through sections dedicated to the pioneers, airships, the First World War, General Nobile’s epic polar flights, the great mass air cruises, the Schneider Cup, aircraft between the two world wars, the Second World War and the large aircraft, concluding with the final pavilion illustrating the post-war rebirth of the Italian Air Force.