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Antique weapons collection Ferlin
Take a look around and see the Ferlin Collection of old weapons, which consists of more than 160 exhibits and extends through the entire palace of the castle.
160 exhibits
The exhibition of old weapons "Ferlin" consists of more than 160 exhibits, mostly hunting and military rifles and accessories for loading weapons. The objects date from the end of the 14th to the end of the 19th century. Considering that the objects were collected and found mostly in Istria, in the area where they were created, they are a valuable indicator of frequent political and social changes on the Istrian peninsula. Thus, the large number of Austrian military weapons found in this area is evidence of the long-standing presence of the Austrian government and its impact on the lives of the inhabitants.
The oldest exhibit from the 15th century
The collection mostly consists of objects that are mainly of the second and third categories of monumental value, but it can also boast of several objects of the first category, of which the Venetian bombardment from the 15th century stands out. It is the oldest exhibit and the center of the exhibition. Interestingly, the bomb was found in Svetvinčenat, and Italian experts Marco Morin and Carlo Beltrame presented it in their book on Venetian cannons as the oldest known example of Venetian artillery.
Signaling devices
The collection also includes interesting items that are considered to be firearms, but in fact they are signaling devices that were used as a gunpowder explosion to indicate danger, approach of the enemy, a natural disaster, such as fire, flood or earthquake, and were often served as a sign of popular joy.
25 years of collecting
The owner of the collection is Mario Ferlin, a great collector and lover of historical specimens, and it took him 25 years of thoroughly research for the entire collection. The collection itself is material evidence of the continuous historical, political and economic development of the Istrian peninsula during the period of Austrian and Italian rule in the area, and therefore it is necessary to valorize and protect it.