Museo Tecnico Navale (Naval Museum)

One of Italy's finest naval museums, with figureheads and historic vessels

The Museo Tecnico Navale is one of the best naval museums in Italy and one of the main reasons to spend a day in La Spezia rather than rushing through to the Cinque Terre. Founded in 1863, it documents Italian naval history from the 16th century to the present with a collection that includes ship models, navigational instruments, weapons, flags, and — most memorably — a gallery of wooden figureheads from warships of the Sardinian and Italian Royal Navy.

The museum is set in the Arsenal complex on the harbour. The building itself is part of the attraction: the naval base was designed by the same engineers who fortified Genoa, and the neoclassical Arsenal gate on Via Amendola is one of the more imposing pieces of architecture in the city. Allow two hours.

Address: Via Amendola 1. Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 8:30–18:30. Entry: a few euros, free for under-18s.

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A story
The museum houses the figurehead collection from the Royal Sardinian Navy — over 50 carved prows from 18th and 19th century warships, including a remarkable series depicting Roman emperors and allegorical figures. They were salvaged as ships were decommissioned and make for a strange, haunting gallery that most visitors to La Spezia never find.