The museum, arranged in four large rooms, contains documents, images, relics and weapons dating mostly from the years 1848-49 and 1859-61.

The Museum of the Risorgimento, organized within the Civic Museums as an autonomous section under the supervision of the Institute for the History of the Italian Risorgimento - Piacenza Committee, which retains ownership of most of the exhibited works, is arranged in four large rooms and collects documents, images, relics, and weapons dating mostly from 1848-49 and 1859-61.

The documentation begins with the period between the settlement of Maria Luigia in the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza (1816) and 1848 .

The section dedicated to the events of '48 and the outcome of the plebiscite , with which Piacenza voted in favour of joining the Kingdom of Sardinia, is extensive.

Of great importance are the original decrees, proclamations and appeals that document the events of the two-year period 1859-60.

An entire section is then dedicated to the political personality of Giuseppe Manfredi, a patriot and statesman from Piacenza.

Ample space is given to the figure of Garibaldi and his enlistment in the army, with printed sheets, etchings, lithographs and autographed letters.

Room 1
The first section of the museum is dedicated to Maria Luigia, who became Duchess of Parma and Piacenza in 1815, and to the revolutionary uprisings of 1830-31 that saw Piacenza become the capital of the Duchy. The largest section of the room commemorates the events of 1848, when, thanks to a favorable plebiscite, Piacenza was the first to request annexation to the Piedmont of Savoy. The exhibition is rounded out by period newspapers and portraits of some of Piacenza's most famous patriots.

Room 2
The room covers historical events from 1849 to 1859. Inside, you can admire two flags from 1859 and learn about the history of the Italian flag. There is a bust depicting Mazzini, as well as various images of the protagonists of this period and the most important events discussed in the room. On the wall at the entrance to the room is a scarf depicting some of these figures. The display cases also contain a series of lithographs relating to the battles of San Martino, Solferino, and Magenta, and a medal commemorating the opening of the Italian Parliament.

The retreat of the Austrians from the city on 10 June 1859
The events of June 10, 1859, constitute a significant episode in the history of the Risorgimento in Piacenza, which actively participated in the process of circulation of national ideas.
The outbreak of the Second War of Independence in April 1859, the first victorious battles of the Franco-Piedmontese forces and the uprisings of several Italian cities pushed Duchess Louise Marie de Berry, regent of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, to leave the Parmesan states.
At that point, the Austrian garrisons, after blowing up several forts and two arches of the Trebbia Bridge, began their exodus from the city: eight thousand soldiers, quartered in various religious and civil buildings—from the Citadel to the Benedictine Abbey of San Sisto—exited through the Fodesta and Borghetto gates, preceded by a military band, and crossed the Po on a pontoon bridge, which they immediately burned. Within two hours, the city was free. Piazza Cavalli became the public space where the emotional aspects of a new patriotism could be forcefully expressed.
In this room, a plaque from Piazza Cavalli, engraved with the date 10 June 1859, was placed. In its place, there is now a plaque commemorating the episode.

Room 3
This museum section focuses on the military campaign associated with the Second War of Independence, the Austrian defeat, and the Duchy's subsequent annexation to Piedmont, paying particular attention to the figure of Giuseppe Manfredi, who became governor of the Parma provinces after the Austrians fled. Another corpus of documents specifically refers to the figures of Mazzini and Garibaldi, who exerted a decisive influence and role in the unification process.

Room 4
The final room contains a significant collection of military objects from the Risorgimento period, including sabers, swords, rifles with bayonets, and clothing. Also noteworthy are the two portraits of Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy after unification, and Cavour, the Piedmontese statesman who spearheaded the Risorgimento.