Emergency Museum: the historic ambulance car park of the Milan White Cross
The Historic Car Park was born in 1994 from the idea of some Volunteers of the Association of the White Cross of Milan belonging to the Paullo Section, passionate about historic vehicles
The Historic Car Park, the first model was a Fiat Carmagnola
The first model to become part of the collection is the Fiat Campagnola ambulance that was dedicated to the founder of the Association Don Giuseppe Bignami.
In 1997, on the disposal of the Executive Committee, it was decided the obligation that this car park, called “Historic Autopark” with its own logo designed for the occasion, only had to include ambulances used by the Association during the various years of service.
Among the various models in the collection, perhaps the one with the greatest historical interest is the 1948 Fiat 1100 BL ambulance, one of the few rare examples in Italy that has been renovated without altering its original look.
Another prerogative of the ambulances of the Historic Car Park is that the Association is the only owner, in fact they are all in the name of the Legal Representative.
Paradoxically, the future of the association will need to go back more and more to the origins of its past, for this reason the Milan White Cross Historic Car Park is enriched year after year with examples of ambulances of great historical value, exhibited in different models and different liveries: this is to mark the most important stages of the Association from its beginnings to the present day.
The presence of the restored ambulances, always greatly demanded during the events organized by the association, arouses interest and admiration, also testifying a past that has significantly contributed to the growth of the whole community.
Today the collection of the Historic Car Park of the White Cross of Milan includes 28 vehicles
Of these 24 are from the Paullo section, 2 from the Cesano Maderno section, 1 from the Milan Center section and 1 from the Milan Vialba section, all rigorously preserved and exhibited at the Paullo headquarters located in Via Aldo Moro 1/A.
On the occasion of the Milan Monza Motor Show 2021, the three days dedicated to the world of motors, at the Best Western Plus Hotel Galles they strongly wanted an event that would combine the world of 4 wheels with corporate social responsibility.
From the 10th to the 13th of June 2021 in the space in front of the hotel entrance it was possible to admire and visit some great historic examples of the Milan White Cross Historic Ambulance Car Park.
The exhibition received the patronage of the Municipality of Milan 3 and was inaugurated on June 10th at 5.30 pm in the presence of Dr. Caterina Antola President of the Municipality of Milan 3, of the General President of the Milan White Cross Carlo Vincenzo Tresoldi , by dr. Filippo Seccamani Mazzoli owner of Best Western Plus Hotel Galles, of Giuseppe Comandulli, manager of the Milan White Cross Historic Car Park and several representatives of the White Cross Milan and FAPS – Federation of First Aid Associations of which the White Cross Milan is a founding member.
Historic Car Park, see the photogallery:
“We are proud to show to our Italian and international guests these vehicles” declared Filippo Seccamani, owner of the hotel, President of the Brescia White Cross and National Inspector of the Italian Relief Corps of the Order of Malta “Each of them represents a chapter of the great history of care and hospitality in the DNA of our association”.
“The history of these vehicles marks the stages of the life of the White Cross in Milan” declared Carlo Vincenzo Tresoldi “and their conservation and protection preserves our historical memory and our roots. Through this exhibition we want to contribute to tell the extraordinary role played by this important association of ours born in Milan and which then extended in almost all of Lombardy with its offices”.
For the duration of the event, three ambulances from the Historic Car Park were exhibited to the people of Milan and the tourists passing by in Piazza Lima and Via Ozanam, a model of Fiat 600t, a Fiat 238 and a Volkswagen 27 model all registered in 1976.
Three examples of a long history of rescue and care of the city of Milan, normally exhibited at the Paullo Historic Car Park which today occupies an area of 600 square meters and was born in 1997 from a brilliant idea of some volunteers of the Association who are passionate about historic vehicles.
On the occasion of the exhibition, the Milan White Cross organized a fundraiser for the maintenance of the Paullo Historic Ambulance Car Park from which the vehicles on display come from, because as stated by Giuseppe Comandulli, Head of the Milan White Cross Car Park “We are convinced that the vintage equipment and vehicles as much as the modern ones immediately transmit all the meaning of the work of the Milan White Cross in favor of the community in need, starting from its birth (1907) up to the present day, and which both yesterday and today is projected towards the future with conviction, professionalism and humanitarian spirit “.
A beautiful all-Italian example of how the conservation and protection of historical rescue vehicles is essential to preserve their memory over time, telling its evolution and transmitting the great passion that moves this sector to the new generations.
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Source:
Croce Bianca Paullo, Croce Bianca Milano