The private historical weapons collection consist of over one hundred exhibits, mostly hunting and military rifles and weapon charging equipment. Its owner Mario Ferlin, a well-known tavern owner from Svetvinčenat, has been collecting weapons for 25 years and has now decided to show them to the public.

The exhibition contains around 160 of the most interesting items selected from the vast personal collection, and it includes firearms, cold weapons and equipment dating from the 15th until the end of 19th century. The exhibits have been collected mostly in Istria, from where they originate, and they reveal the frequent political and social changes that this region has gone through.

The oldest item, and the centrepiece of the exhibition, is a Venetian bombard originating from Svetvinčenat, an early 15th century artillery piece that was a precursor to the cannon and which Italian experts Marco Morin and Carlo Beltrame described in their book as the oldest known example of Venetian artillery. The weapon exhibition is unique because there are no other private weapons collections that are open to the public in the form of a permanent exhibition. The now retired high curator of the History museum Janko Jeličić made the expert evaluation, restoration and description of the weapons.

» KulTERRA: Ferlin Antique Weapons Collection [Hrvatski/English pdf]

The collection is located in the Morosini Grimani Castle.
 

Information:
Morosini Grimani Castle
Svetvinčenat 47, HR-52342 Svetvinčenat
T: +385 (0)52 384318
info@grimanicastle.com 
www.grimanicastle.com