A small museum that tells the story of ancient navigation
The Museum of the Sea and Ancient Navigation is located immediately after the monumental entrance portal to the castle and is part of the setting of this extraordinary place, which has been inhabited continuously from prehistory to the present day. A jouney back in time of over five thousand years, in a coastal environment of considerable charm made possible thanks to the discovery of exceptional finds identified during the exploration of the coastal waters.
At the ticket office of the Museum a large model will welcome you to immediately project you into history starting from the current situation of the medieval and Renaissance complex of the village built on the remains of the ancient city of Pyrgi.
Subsequently, five rooms displaying hundreds of finds distributed along an exhibition and educational path will introduce you to the theme of underwater archaeology and ancient navigation, illustrating numerous significant aspects of "life on the sea and for the sea".
The visit itinerary allows you to discover the history of one of the oldest ports in the Tyrrhenian Sea, an important place of worship, an Etruscan city, then a Roman castrum and finally an important manor of the Pio Istituto del Santo Spirito.
The Museum preserves and enhances the archaeological evidence from the seabed of the coast between Alsium (today's Ladispoli) and Centumcellae (today's Civitavecchia), with particular reference to the port of Pyrgi. Thanks to the presence of suggestive reconstructions it will be possible to touch with your hands parts of the hull of the oldest boats made by man with the "sewn" technique but also use the working model of the bilge pump, the most useful tool for saving boats from dangers during navigation. Finally, the Museum has recently been equipped with an innovative multimedia apparatus, which will make the visit even more interesting and exciting.
