Documentation and Historical Research Centre
The Documentation and Historical Research Center of Tuscan Gothic aps was inaugurated on 24 September 2011. The CDRS hosts the “Mugot” Gothic Museum, the headquarters of the association, the secretariat of HMV Italia and is an affiliate member of the American MVPA.
The property is owned by the Municipality of Scarperia and has been managed under agreement by Gotica Toscana aps since 02/05/2011. The “Historical Documentation and Research Center” of Gotica Toscana aps in Scarperia was inaugurated on 24 September 2011. The structure has a reception area, a projection/meeting room with approximately 30 seats and three exhibition areas. The rooms have no architectural barriers. The outdoor area is located at the Passo del Giogo (SS503) between the municipalities of Scarperia and Firenzuola. In the area, artefacts from the Second World War have been identified, subject to an agreement with the Union of Mountain Municipalities of Mugello for the census, cataloging and recovery. Some of them have already been recovered and included in an open-air museum itinerary partly accessible even for people with reduced mobility. Contact us for information, reservations and costs.
Catalog and database
With the update of the site, the database is temporarily off-line, we are working on updating the catalog/inventory of the CDRS and the Mugot exhibitions, we can give you an example of the finds on display
The library
Gotica Toscana aps offers CDRS visitors a library of over 500 publications, the library catalog is available in pdf format. The CDRS library also includes the publications of the “Fondo Renzo Milani” and the “Fondo Vertova”. During 2015 the library was enriched with further volumes donated by the “Claude Moore Health Sciences Library” of the University of Virginia Health System – Historical Collection & Services. The texts can be consulted upon request after booking, using the usual contacts.
Mugot – Gothic Museum Permanent exhibition
The Gothic Line and the Battle for Monte Altuzzo – Duration of visit: 2:00
The battle for the breakthrough of the German defensive line along the Apennines, the "Gothic Line", which lasted from September 1944 to April 1945, played an important role on the strategic outcomes of the conflict and the post-war balance. The permanent exhibition is dedicated to the armies that participated in the battle of the Giogo Pass and presents objects resulting from discoveries on the ground and material collected over the years by members or donated by local populations. The visit, not limited to war events alone, allows you to immerse yourself in the historical and social context of the period and to realize the impact on the daily life and social evolution of the population involved. The CDRS presents a completely renovated museum itinerary, which winds through the rooms offering the visitor unique emotions, such as the visit to the dark atmosphere of the German bunker faithfully reconstructed inside the rooms with the same techniques with which Gotica Toscana restored the original ones located on the Giogo Pass, or the new large showcase dedicated entirely to allied soldiers. Rich in personal effects of all kinds, as well as uniforms and equipment, the exhibition projects the visitor not only into the battle but also into the daily lives of many men united by the desire to find a fragment of normality in such a disaster.
The icing on the cake is "the Italian corridor" dedicated to the men who fought on both sides in this sector of the Gothic Line. Alongside a RSI paratrooper and a member of the partisan formations, uniforms of rare uniqueness tell the story, almost unknown to the general public, of other units that fought gloriously in the War of Liberation. Thus, the uniforms of units held in very high regard by the Allied commands emerged, such as that of Squadron F, which had the difficult task of carrying out advanced patrols and sabotage beyond enemy lines, and that of the 5th Combat Baggage Department "Monte Cassino" which on the back of a mule he transported supplies and ammunition to the front line, in inaccessible areas otherwise unreachable by vehicles, evacuating the wounded. We can give you an example of the finds on display.
Temporary exhibitions from 2011 to 2015
MuGot has hosted a series of temporary exhibitions dedicated to some of the most significant events in the history of our country: from El Alamenin to the Russian Campaign up to the Liberation of Florence.
Horizons of Freedom – Excursion on the paths of the Gothic Line – Educational workshop
We have identified some important locations and artefacts, dating back to the Second World War, of considerable historical interest. This is a first series that takes into account the structure, position and strategic importance as well as usability by the public. The first 21, selected out of many dozens surveyed, are touched by distinct paths:
- Itinerary “A”; attack on Monte Altuzzo from the eastern side. – Duration 2:30 – Difficulty EE
- Itinerary “B”; Monte Altuzzo – Duration 1:30 – Difficulty E
- Itinerary “C”; Omomorto – Monticelli – Monte Altuzzo – Omomorto – Duration 6:30 Difficulty EE
The locations involved in the visit are particularly significant and are part of the three main areas of the war scenario inherent to the breakthrough of the Gothic Line. Details of the routes there found in the projects section.
Guided tours – Proposals
Proposal A
- Morning – at the secondary office at Passo del Giogo: Excursion and guided tour in the morning following, depending on terrain conditions, one of itineraries A or B
- Afternoon – Guided visit to the museum for the exhibitions present
It is possible to concentrate the excursion and visit to the museum in just the morning or just the afternoon (Itinerary B and Museum)
Proposal B
- Morning or afternoon - Excursion and guided tour following route B at the secondary headquarters at Passo del Giogo and guided visit to the museum for the exhibitions present.
Proposal C
- Itinerary “C”; Excursion and guided tour Omomorto – Monticelli – Monte Altuzzo – Omomorto – Duration 6:30 Difficulty EE
At Passo del Giogo picnic area and restaurant option.
At the museum there is a picnic area and fenced public garden.
