Also the Trento and the Garibaldi at the museum of sailors in Taggia

A jewel witnessing heroic deeds and a seafaring culture well rooted in the municipality. It is the small museum in via Pasquale Anfossi, in Taggia, in the headquarters of the local Italian Sailors Association. Among the highlights, splendid models of the Trento and Garibaldi cruisers. The latter was converted into the first Italian missile launcher. And on that ship Giorgio Arnaldi, president of the association, served on that ship, a figure known by all as well as for his commercial activity for having been president of Taggese football for a long time. «We are 72 – explains Marco Izetta, secretary after having been president for three terms – all of our municipality. We keep in contact with other associations. And we are almost twinned with those of Casale, Aosta and even Taormina. And we keep in touch with every group of Liguria and Lower Piedmont. When they organize something we always participate. The Tabiese-Armasco group is headed by Pietro Zunino, a sailor from Taggia, embarked on the cruiser Zara, which was sunk at Cape Matapan. Nothing was ever heard of him again. The navy of Armataggio also counts a silver medal for military valor, Nino Pesce, and another bronze to Ugo Baroni. There are also three war crosses, to Pietro Zunino, Agostino Ghu and Bartolomeo Biancheri, who died two years ago at the age of 99. There are documents and testimonies about these and many others. There is no shortage, among the models, of sailing boats, such as a splendid example of the Amerigo Vespucci. The books feature Navy operations, seafaring practices, and there are even encyclopedias. Like the one on the History of the Second World War, in several volumes. Others involve battleships and cruisers, minesweepers and destroyers. There are also many memories of sailors from the municipality. The national president of the similar French sailors’ association had also participated in the inauguration of the headquarters. The small museum is open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 3.30pm to 5pm.