Galata Museo del Mare — Attraction in Genoa

The Galata – Museo del Mare in Genoa is the largest museum dedicated to this genre in the Mediterranean area and also one of the most modern in Italy .

The Galata Sea Museum of Genoa promotes the knowledge and valorization of the marine culture, the Genoese historical identity and the relationships with other cultures. Through finds, faithful reconstructions and a photographic archive covering almost the entire twentieth century, the Museum takes on the role of cultural pole in the city panorama, offering residents and tourists the opportunity to get in touch with the most fascinating aspects of the maritime environment.

Inaugurated in 2004 , the museum is located in the Galata Palace, whose renovation was designed by the Spanish architect Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra . The museum houses, in addition to a life-size reproduction of a Genoese galley, several interactive rooms where you can understand what it meant, in different eras, to go to sea. One of these is the "La Merica" ​​exhibition which shows the journey of our ancestors to America. There are numerous rooms dedicated to maritime trade and going to sea at the time of the maritime republic of Genoa . The museum also displays a section dedicated to transatlantic liners with nautical charts and a simulation of a storm off Cape Horn . The Galata - Museo del Mare also offers an exhibition room, bookshop, café with terrace. It is the venue for activities with schools, also favoured by the proximity of the museum complex to the Genova Piazza Principe station and the proximity of the "Darsena" metro stop . In 1978, off the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, Ambrogio Fogar 's boat was probably hit by an orca or a freak wave and sank quickly. Ambrogio and his traveling companion Mauro Mancini managed to get to safety on a raft where they were rescued 74 days later, but unfortunately Mancini did not survive. In 2010, 32 years later, the Fogar family decided to donate the raft to the Galata - Museo del Mare in Genoa. There are also some autographed documents of Christopher Columbus . Since 2005, together with the Naval Museum of Pegli , the Lantern Museum and the National Museum of Italian Emigration (located in the Commenda di San Giovanni di Pré ), the Galata has been part of the cultural centre of Mu.MA - Institution of Museums of the Sea and Migration. The exhibition "Memory and Migrations", dedicated to Italian emigration , was inaugurated at the Galata in 2011: it ranges from the exploitation of Italian immigrants in Genoa in the 19th century to that of migrants from the Italian diaspora who went to the United States or Argentina , and who sometimes perished at sea during the crossing. Particular attention is also paid to ongoing emigration. The exhibition will be integrated into the new National Museum of Italian Emigration , housed in the Commenda di San Giovanni di Pré , which is scheduled to open...

This is a large museum covering broad, somewhat general "maritime" topics. However, it presents these topics with inconsistent depth, information, logic, and organization. For the most part, the museum seems geared towards schoolchildren or families with children. Additionally, the vast majority of the exhibits are in Italian only. English, or any other language, is extremely minimal, making the visit all the more frustrating for non-Italian speakers.

For example, the highlight of my visit and the main reason I went was the exhibit on Genoa's medieval maritime history, which focused on the famous Genoese galleys. This section was thorough, interesting, and beautifully presented with models and real-life replicas of the vessels and the life aboard them. Much less impressive and unfortunately significantly smaller, but still interesting and well-presented, was the exhibit about Christopher Columbus. Given that Columbus was Italian, born and raised in Genoa, and sailed from here, one would expect a significantly more expansive and in-depth exhibit on this fascinating and important topic of maritime life. This was not the case.

The rest of the museum is filled with disorganized and loosely presented displays on sea life, presented in a somewhat childish way, which reinforced our impression that it's geared towards children. Then there's a disproportionately large section about immigration—yes, via boats—and the living conditions aboard those ships, but with very limited discussion of the actual maritime experience. Right next to it, for no chronological or logical reason, are scattered a few displays mimicking military submarine instruments. The actual submarine, which you can explore from within, is located outside.

In conclusion, this museum offers a nice activity, especially for children or those looking for a general overview of maritime life. While some sections, like the medieval Genoa exhibit, are well-executed and engaging, the overall experience is hindered by a lack of consistent depth, organization, and particularly, the significant absence of non-Italian language information. It's a place to learn broadly about the sea, but don't expect an in-depth or comprehensive exploration of specific maritime topics beyond a few...

A very extensive museum. It has 5 floors, all accessible by lift. Within walking distance of either the metro or bus stop.

If You are going to visit I recommend you buy the Genoa city 24 hour museum card for €15/ person. It is valid for 24 hours and will grant you access to atleast a third of the museums in Genoa, including the royal palace, the museum of emmigration, the house of Christopher Columbus. It can be bought at InfoPoint on via Matteo near Plaza Ferrari, and I assume most InfoPoints. I must include that this card does not offer acces to exhibitions throughout these locations but the can be bought separately. For example the naval submarine exhibition at this marine museum can be bought separately for €6/person.

This museum offers all ranges of pieces from maps and paintings, to partial 1:1 scale ships, visiting times may vary from 1 to 3 hours depending on how much you want to see, and in what detail. A beautiful place to visit to immerse yourself in a world of sea travel. If You have and interest in history, geography, or just are curious about the marine, then this is the place for you. There are plenty of models and entertainments for children too and the lift will accommodate prams as you move through the floors. Moving through the museum you will travel through several different time periods, from early medieval to modern. Your mind will be overflowing with information by the time you leave. On the ground floor there is a small gift shop with some memorabilia.

Only downside being most of the information boards are in Italian and lack translation for foreign visitors, and sometimes the electronics on some boards do not work. Nevertheless a beautiful museum that is definitely worth visiting.

This review is dated 5th...