Museo della Marineria di Cesenatico

About the museum

The Museo della Marineria di Cesenatico, founded in 1983 and run by the Comune, is a rare museum even at international level: alongside the land display it includes a Floating Section (Sezione Galleggiante) with traditional boats which, in summer, display their sails every day. Two of these boats can still sail, keeping alive the intangible heritage of seafaring knowledge.

It is located in the heart of the ancient Porto Canale, attributed to a design by Leonardo da Vinci, next to the historic centre and the fishermen's houses. The Land Section occupies a pavilion built like an old arsenal: on the ground floor the boats are presented, with their construction and handling, including a trabaccolo and a bragozzo (traditional Adriatic sailing boats), the two protagonists of the last era of Adriatic sail; the first floor illustrates the life of seafarers, fishing, navigation and customs.

The Floating Section displays ten boats of the traditional Adriatic types, while in the Porto Museo thirty other boats, almost all privately owned, are moored and take part in historic boat gatherings. The Antiquarium comunale (municipal antiquarium) tells the origins of the area with Roman and medieval finds, including the hoard of a ship attacked by pirates and statues of Daedalus and Icarus. The museum belongs to the Associazione Musei del Mare del Mediterraneo.

Highlights

• Floating Section with ten traditional boats
• Trabaccolo and bragozzo in the arsenal-style pavilion
• Porto Canale Leonardesco with the Porto Museo
• Municipal Antiquarium with finds from ancient Ad Novas
• Scuola di Vela Storica (historic sailing school)
• Combined ticket with Casa Moretti

Permanent exhibitions

• Sezione a Terra – Arsenal-style pavilion with boats, boatbuilding and the life of Adriatic seafarers.
• Sezione Galleggiante – Ten traditional boats in the Porto Canale Leonardesco, with sails hoisted every day in summer.
• Antiquarium comunale – Roman and medieval finds from the territory of ancient Ad Novas.

Founded

1983

Operated by

Comune di Cesenatico

Visitors per year

approx. 33,102

Admission & discounts

The ticket is a single ticket valid for the Museo della Marineria, the Antiquarium and Casa Moretti. Free admission also for schools in Cesenatico, accredited journalists, armed forces, tourist guides, interpreters, escorts of schools and groups, museum directors, ICOM members and holders of the FAI or Touring Club card.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

Creative workshops for children aged 5 to 12 in the summer months (Tuesday evenings), a route with hands-on activities such as lowering a sail and tying knots, a family package at €10, a junior ticket at €1, and educational workshops for schools.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the quay of the innermost stretch of the Porto Canale Leonardesco; the entrance to the Land Section is opposite the Floating Section. Bicycles can be left in front of the museum; those arriving with a traditional boat can moor in the Porto Museo, giving advance notice.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop with guides, catalogues, postcards, books on the sea, clothing, museum merchandise and typical Romagna products; books and games for children.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Up to 90 guests.

Equipped conference room for 90 people (audio, video, streaming) and an exhibition pavilion next to the boats; civil weddings are possible (request at least three months in advance), as are dinners for groups, associations and companies. Requests must be agreed with the secretariat at least one month in advance.

Plan your visit