Today i museums they have become dynamic. They tell while traveling, and when they cannot do it materially, they realize motion through the tools of communication. One of the tools is the book, an ancient but still fascinating method of communication in that materially involving the reader who leafs through the pages with the interest of research or with the simple curiosity of knowledge.
The book is the tool that Stefano Venturi has chosen to make his museum known and to travel. The elegant volume "A Museum of Memories", full of images, written by venturi in autobiographical form (ed. Tipoarte Bologna), spreads its wings in a grazing flight over the memories and moments that have marked important parts of the author's personal and social life, and over the details that have promoted the interest and realization of the collection . He entered the hunting association when he was just twenty years old, in 1967, passionate about shooting from the platform and assiduous frequenter of that of the propeller of the TAV Randi of Villa S. Martino di Lugo, Stefano Venturi has become over time an expert in fine smooth-bore weapons. Over the years it has collected over fifty pieces, including some of particular interest.
A passion for fine harquebusery born through the readings of the great authors, Gianoberto Lupi first of all, then using the same publications as a research tool for finding and evaluating the weapons to be put in the collection. The collection was initially based on Italian pieces, particularly from Romagna, also from a historical point of view, and on Belgian models. German, English, Spanish and French weapons also entered to complete the European overview. A complete range, from classic to modern, arranged according to the different types: a display case for shotguns, one for over-and-under, and one for a complete series of semi-auto Benelli. Last but not least, there is also a niche for the old recoiling semi-cars which, in their mechanical evolutionary process, have contributed to the history of hunting, one above all the legendary Auto 5 of the Browning, the progenitor of semiautomatics, but there is no shortage of prestigious ones Breda Apollo and the Franchi 48 AL Eldorado. The lion's share, however, is of the double, especially that of the Romagna school. And it could not be otherwise, since the shotgun is part not only of the history of hunting in Romagna, but also of the history of the Romagna countryside. All 'arquebusery the historical names of Romagna have given great prestige Zanotti, Toschi need Zacharias, to speak only of those of the Ravenna area, then passing through the Rimini area Courteous e Fabricate them. Names which were joined by many other small artist-gunsmiths, in turn making a notable contribution to the tradition of hunting weapons.
Among the Romagna, a historical piece stands out, one double Zanotti from 1933, a unique model of particular interest for its relay profile between one period and another of the Zanotti. Started by Tomaso Zanotti before the bankruptcy of the “T. Zanotti ”, was then completed and signed by his son Fabio who made some first changes to the locks. Weapon that can therefore be considered a preparatory study of the later famous 1934 model. Last entry was a 1915 Giacinto Zanotti, with batteries Holland-Holland, a precious and refined "signature". No less of historical value are three Toschi doublets: a Roberto Toschi from 1911, another Roberto Toschi from 1934, and a co-production by Carlo and Renzo Toschi from 1974. The same goes for a Arnoldo Zaccaria from 1929, engraved by the Belgian artist Hyppolite Corombelle, built for a great ornithologist collector client.
However, the Romagna arquebusery also had the characteristic of opening up to knowledge, and in the first half of the twentieth century a significant relationship with the Belgian school was born. Two schools that synergized even though the different perspective on the forms was evident, the Belgian one more streamlined and lighter and the Romagna one of the time more “full-bodied”. There were exchanges of experiences between Romagna gunsmiths and some Belgian builders, Lajot and Francotte in particular. Consequently, the Belgian side-by-side found a kind of small second homeland, and a small market, in Romagna. Testimonies inside the Venturi Museum are a Lebeau-Courally model 108 from 1954, with removable batteries and perforated key, engraved by Lyson Corombelle (daughter of Hyppolite), a Thonon from 1938 and a Thirifays model 1000 from 1935, also with very fine engravings.
Ma inside the Museum are observable, among many others, the Italian ones Breda Gemini of 1960, St. Vincent 580 Brothers Gamba from 1966 engraved by Pintossi, Vincent Bernardelli Holland-Holland model VB1 from 1965, Franchi Imperiale Montecarlo Extra, the latter weapon of top-level prestige, in a certain sense akin to the Romagna line and therefore, in Romagna, has always represented an icon of juxtaposed rods.
It is largely through amateur collecting that unique pieces are recovered and handed down, thus continuing to preserve the knowledge of an era made up of stories of work, places and people. Today, as we said at the beginning, the Venturi Museum is also able to “travel”. Travel on the pages of the book "A Museum of Memories - The value of memory ", with whom Stephen Venturi has put the seal on the path of a life of passions and varied, competent and documented collecting. An uncommon collecting overall, from rifles to stringed musical instruments and aerophones, to watches. Variegated, lively, it arouses spontaneous curiosity at the first approach, acquiring a precise identity immediately afterwards, revealing the deepening of knowledge with which it was conducted. An important seal book, born of the desire to bring the collection outdoors so that it can be shared and have further life. The book is easy to read. In addition to containing the numerous photos and technical sheets of the weapons and the description of the entire collection (weapons, musical instruments, watches, taxidermy, more, the book jacket is already a business card), the book is linked to the Romagna territory through the memories of the author and through local historical notes of particular hunting and shooting, some absolutely rare. From the Romagna of hunting and the golden age of the old gunsmith artists, to the countryside of the middle of the last century, to the reflections on today's hunting. The value of memory, this is the intrinsic value and this is the spirit with which the book was written and is proposed to the reader.
Il Venturi Museum it is located in Russi (RA), in Corso Farini 77, and is open on Tuesdays and Fridays, or by appointment (for information on the Museum and book, visits, reservations and requests: [email protected]).