Brescia Arsenal
Encyclopedia
The Brescia Arsenal was a small arms
factory located in Brescia
, Italy
, and active from the early 19th century to the end of World War II
.
At first it was built as a convent
for Servite
monks in the 15th century, and maintained a religious destination until the end of the 18th century.
Following Napoleonic suppressions the convent was turned into barracks
and, in 1812, the production of small arms
was started. Many kinds of small arms
in use by the Regio Esercito were overhauled in the Brescia Arsenal, including the Vetterli rifle
and the Carcano Rifle in its many versions. Built-in assembly lines produced thousands of the latter, including the entire lot of the M91 TS (Special Troops) Carbine, made between 1898 and 1919. Ammunition was also produced.
On 2 March 1945 the military facility was targeted by a massive USAAF air raid
that wrought damage all over the city. The Arsenal was leveled and the church of St. Afra
(now Saint Angela Merici) in "Via dell'Arsenale" (now via Francesco Crispi
) was directly hit and collapsed causing the death of 21 people who had sought refuge there. The total death toll for the bombing was of 80 killed among the population.
After World War II
the building was named after Sottotenente Serafino Gnutti, an Alpini
officer who had earned a posthumous Gold Medal of Military Valor
in the Greco-Italian War
. The Headquarters
and Signals section of Brigata Meccanizzata "Brescia" were accommodated there.
Following the post-Cold War
reorganization of the Italian Army
, the Brigata was disbanded and the barracks
were left empty. As of August 2010, they have been alienated by the Ministry of Defence to be turned into flats and offices.
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
factory located in Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and active from the early 19th century to the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
At first it was built as a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
for Servite
Servite Order
The Servite Order is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. Its objects are the sanctification of its members, preaching the Gospel, and the propagation of devotion to the Mother of God, with special reference to her sorrows. The members of the Order use O.S.M. as their post-nominal...
monks in the 15th century, and maintained a religious destination until the end of the 18th century.
Following Napoleonic suppressions the convent was turned into barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
and, in 1812, the production of small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
was started. Many kinds of small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
in use by the Regio Esercito were overhauled in the Brescia Arsenal, including the Vetterli rifle
Vetterli rifle
The Vetterli rifles were a series of Swiss army service rifles in use from 1869 to circa 1890, when they were replaced with the Schmidt-Rubin rifles. Modified Vetterli rifles were also used by the Italian Army....
and the Carcano Rifle in its many versions. Built-in assembly lines produced thousands of the latter, including the entire lot of the M91 TS (Special Troops) Carbine, made between 1898 and 1919. Ammunition was also produced.
On 2 March 1945 the military facility was targeted by a massive USAAF air raid
Strategic bombing
Strategic bombing is a military strategy used in a total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability and public will to wage war rather than destroying its land or naval forces...
that wrought damage all over the city. The Arsenal was leveled and the church of St. Afra
Saint Afra
Saint Afra was a Christian martyr. Her actual existence is not mentioned until the 5th century martyrologies, giving her dubious historicity.-Biography:...
(now Saint Angela Merici) in "Via dell'Arsenale" (now via Francesco Crispi
Francesco Crispi
Francesco Crispi was a 19th-century Italian politician of Arbëreshë ancestry. He was instrumental in the unification of Italy and was its 17th and 20th Prime Minister from 1887 until 1891 and again from 1893 until 1896.-Sicily:Crispi’s paternal family came originally from the small agricultural...
) was directly hit and collapsed causing the death of 21 people who had sought refuge there. The total death toll for the bombing was of 80 killed among the population.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the building was named after Sottotenente Serafino Gnutti, an Alpini
Alpini
The Alpini, , are the elite mountain warfare soldiers of the Italian Army. They are currently organized in two operational brigades, which are subordinated to the Alpini Corps Command. The singular is Alpino ....
officer who had earned a posthumous Gold Medal of Military Valor
Gold Medal of Military Valor
The Gold Medal of Military Valor is an Italian medal established on 21 May 1793 by King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia "....per bassi ufficiali e soldati che avevano fatto azioni di segnalato valore in guerra" .The face of the medal displayed the profile of the king, and on its reverse was a flag...
in the Greco-Italian War
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
. The Headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
and Signals section of Brigata Meccanizzata "Brescia" were accommodated there.
Following the post-Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
reorganization of the Italian Army
Italian Army
The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
, the Brigata was disbanded and the barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
were left empty. As of August 2010, they have been alienated by the Ministry of Defence to be turned into flats and offices.