Museo delle navi romane di Nemi
State museum on Lake Nemi, built in the 1930s for the two ships of the emperor Caligula, which were destroyed in 1944; it displays models, remains and finds from the Sanctuary of Diana.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum stands on the northern shore of Lake Nemi and was built in the 1930s to house the hulls of two large Roman ships recovered from the bottom of the lake. Their existence had been known since the Middle Ages, because objects surfaced from the lake; lead pipes with inscribed names linked them to Caligula. Attempts at recovery were made in 1446, 1535, 1827 and 1895, but with little success.
Between 1928 and 1932, at the wish of the Fascist government, the level of the lake was lowered by means of a pumping plant, and the two ships, about 71 and 73 metres long, were brought to light and placed in the museum. One was a luxurious floating residence, the other probably a floating temple dedicated to Isis. The building, a double concrete shed with large windows and a panoramic terrace over the lake, was designed by Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo and is regarded as an early example of architecture designed around its contents.
On the night between 31 May and 1 June 1944 a fire destroyed the building and the two ships. Today the museum is run by the Ministry of Culture through the Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Lazio and holds 1:5 scale models of the ships, illustrative panels, the materials that survived the fire and, in one wing, finds from the Sanctuary of Diana Nemorensis and the Castelli Romani, with a stretch of the ancient Via Sacra.
Highlights
- 1:5 scale models of Caligula’s two ships
- Remains of the ships that survived the 1944 fire
- Finds from the Sanctuary of Diana Nemorensis
- Stretch of the ancient Via Sacra
- Building of the 1930s by Vittorio Ballio Morpurgo with a terrace over the lake
- Founded
- 1936
- Operated by
- Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Lazio
- Director
- Daniela De Angelis
- Visitors per year
- approx. 19,925
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
The museum offers educational workshops for schools and activities suitable for families with children.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & 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 |
|---|---|
| Good to know | A guided tour is recommended to better understand the finds; the museum also offers educational workshops for schools and activities suitable for families. |
