Autumn in Tuscany • Porcigliano

Pisa not only the leaning tower – From the ancient Roman ships to Futurism art

The exhibition of “Le Navi Antiche di Pisa” takes place in the halls and aisles of the “Arsenali Medicei” (the Medici Arsenals), along river Arno. Originally, these were warehouses destined to the building and upkeep of the galleys used by the knights of the order of St. Stephen – the Order of Chivalry whose duty was to protect the coasts from the Saracen threat.
In 1998, during some construction works, some wooden objects immediately began coming to light, whose extraordinary value the archaeologists instantly realised.
In particular, what emerged 6 metres underground was an incredible series of ship wreckages in an extraordinary state of preservation, with their loads of commercial items and various remnants of life on board.
From the discovery, the excavation site of Ancient Roman ships of Pisa originated, which would be completed in 2016 and brought to light about thirty Roman boats and thousands of fragments of pottery glass, metal and traces of organic materials. This is one of the most interesting and rich excavation and research sites of the latest years.
The Ancient Ships’ site, thus, has become a centre equipped with labs, storerooms and instruments, on which tens of university and research institutions from Italy and abroad have collaborated.

Arsenali Medicei, Lungarno Ranieri Simonelli 16, Pisa
+39 050 8057880