The Arsenal sits at the harbour end of Pjaca, a tall arched building where Venetian war galleys were once repaired and overwintered. The single great arch on the ground floor framed the slipway; the upper floor, reached by an external staircase, holds the small public theatre built in 1612.
The theatre is a thing to see — a tiny gilded auditorium of three tiers of boxes around a stage, restored to its eighteenth-century appearance. It is occasionally used for chamber concerts during summer festivals. The Arsenal also hosts rotating exhibitions on the ground floor. A combined ticket gets you into the theatre and the Pjaca exhibitions.