PIANA DELLE ORME

It is a museum-park in the province of Latina where visitors can visit 16 pavillions containing up to 50,000 objects of two great historical times of the Pontine land: the reclamation of the territory and the W.W.II times including the landing of the allied forces in Anzio. 

It was established as a private museum by its founder Mariano De Pasquale (1938-2006), a Sicilian enterpreneur,  founder and owner of a floral company still in business nowadays. 

Inside the 16 pavillions, each of 1500 sq. m., and arranged on two rows, visitors can admire a collection of thousands of pieces and objects witnessing not only the more recent war times (right-hand row) but also the ones of the farming culture (left-hand row). 

It’s about a great number of findings from toys to tools, everyday life objects, tractors, huge water pumps, trams, motorbikes, cars, arms and military vehicles such as aeroplanes, tanks, elicopters etc. all perfectly in good working order.  

Among the tanks on exibition, there is the one that was used in the Oscar winning movie “La vita è bella” directed by Roberto Benigni which tells of the jewish deportation in concentration camps. 

An open-air part has recently been added to the already established museum, in which the jewish deportation time is reconstructed. 

Every pavillion deals with a specific theme with events reconstructed through animated scenes and sound effects. In the settings, barriers between the exibited objects and sceneries have willingly been avoided to allow visitors to completely become part of the story.  

In the park ground it is possible to relax and have a meal either at the outside tables or at the restaurant where visitors can have a taste of an excellent local cuisine.