Museo del Mare di Capoliveri
Small museum in the historic centre of Capoliveri with the treasure of the steamship Polluce, sunk in 1841 and recovered between 2000 and 2005.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Museo del Mare of Capoliveri was inaugurated in April 2014 in the restored premises of via Palestro, beneath the village’s central square. It is part of the Sistema Museale dell’Arcipelago Toscano (S.M.Ar.T.) and hosts the exhibition “Il relitto del Polluce – Naufragio a Capoliveri”, curated by the Soprintendenza per i Beni Archeologici della Toscana and the Municipality of Capoliveri.
The Polluce was a steamship built in France in 1839, which sank on 17 June 1841 off Capo Calvo. Its cargo was lost, and the Genoese shipowner Raffaele Rubattino was unable to recover it. In 2000 some English treasure hunters managed to remove part of it under a search permit obtained by supplying false coordinates. The treasure was, however, recovered before it could be auctioned, and in October 2005 the recovery of what remained on the seabed was completed.
The rooms display ship’s papers, letters, goods and everyday objects of the period, such as tableware, cabin furnishings and onboard items, together with the cargo of gold and silver coins, jewellery, trinkets and small porcelain statues. The museum organises guided tours and educational activities.
Highlights
- Cargo of the steamship Polluce, sunk in 1841
- Gold and silver coins, jewellery and porcelain from the wreck
- Ship’s bell and onboard objects
- Section on the recovery and the fraud by treasure hunters
- Multimedia guide also in LIS
Permanent exhibition
- Il relitto del Polluce – Naufragio a Capoliveri – The cargo of the steamship Polluce, sunk in 1841: ship’s papers, everyday objects, coins, jewellery and porcelain.
- Founded
- 2014
- Operated by
- Comune di Capoliveri
- Visitors per year
- approx. 3,636
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3 |
| With guided tour or audio guide, standard | €5 |
| With guided tour or audio guide, reduced | €4 |
Standard ticket €4, reduced €3; with guided tour or audio guide, standard €5, reduced €4.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The entrance is suitable for people with disabilities, and there are no further architectural barriers inside. A multimedia guide in LIS (Italian Sign Language) is available.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The building is located beneath the central square of Capoliveri, Piazza Matteotti, and can be reached via the old via Palestro.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours and educational activities are organised regularly; teaching sheets and school itineraries can be downloaded from the website of the museum system. |
