Museum of Ancient Ships

 

Today, after my walk, I decided to take a trip into Pisa to see the Museum of Ancient Ships (navidipisa.it). It was just opening when I was here last, and the lines were epically long. There were articles in the local newspapers about people getting into fights waiting for entry. I figured the furor would die down by the time I came back the next year.  Indeed, there was for furor today!

I worried about parking (unnecessarily) and decided to drive directly to the museum and suss out where to leave the car from there. Happily, there was street parking (1.86/ hr.) right on the doorstep of the museum, which opened today at 3:30pm. I arrived a little before 3:30, paid for my parking and waited dutifully with another family who had a similar idea.

At precisely 3:30, the huge door opened and we were invited in. We made our way to the entry. The family had bought tickets online. I had to pay my 10 euro entry fee. I said “un adulto, biglietto intero” (one adult, full ticket). The woman replied that I should look at the sign to see if I qualified for any discounts. The discounts were for groups of more than 10, university students, and those over 65. I replied that I was an American and pretty sure I would never qualify for any museum discounts in Italy. She laughed and agreed. I handed over my 10 euro bill and she added quickly, “There is a private, guided tour for an additional 6 euros.” I thought, “why not?” And I handed over another 6. 

I am here to tell your that was the best 6 euros. I was the only one on the tour and I got a full explanation and one hour tour of the entire museum. I learned things I’d never have known from simply walking  through on my own. 

In 1998, in Pisa, they were doing some ground clearing for the construction of a train station. When the trucks moved some earth, they uncovered the first of 30 ships. They began excavation and kept working until 2016 when they had gotten it all out of the ground. In 2019, the museum opened in an old Medici era ship building warehouse. It was interesting to see how the building was set up.  Apparently, they began working on the boats at the far end and worked all the way across the gallery. When the ship was done, at the far end, it was deposited directly into the Arno.  After the Medici era, the building was converted to t stable which was in continuous use until the mid 1900’s. The history of the building was almost as fascinating as the ships contained within.

We worked our way through the rooms, looking at the amphorae found around the site as well as the remains of the boats.  There was one large boat that was surely used for commercial purposes. Another was a flat bottomed river boat. Another was a military boat that was refitted for private use and found a second life as a rich man’s pleasure boat. There were the skeletal remains of a sailor and his dog who were trapped in one of the boats.

How did all these boats meet their end in a dried river bed in Pisa? It seems that Pisa was a very busy port in antiquity. There was the port on the sea, as well as an inter port at the confluence of the Arno and another river further north. There were a series of canals dug by the Romans to facilitate inland movement of goods from the sea, and vice versa. Apparently, there was a great flood which overwhelmed these boats. The mud preserved them for 2000 years. 

The museum has done an excellent job presenting their collection. If you are in the vicinity, I cannot recommend this one highly enough.