Museo Tecnico Navale della Spezia

La Spezia


Maritime lovers shouldn't miss the world's oldest naval museum, which is reached via a narrow bridge a few blocks southwest of Parco Salvador Allende. The halls contain all manner of naval curiosities, including small models of sailing vessels from around the globe, otherworldly diving suits and a special area dedicated to Marconi's wireless invention. Upstairs, the Sala delle Polene is a hauntingly beautiful room with 28 figureheads that once adorned large sailing ships. The oldest, a sword- and shield-wielding Minerva, dates from 1738.

Oddities include several WWII-era barchini esplosivi, torpedo-like vessels guided towards enemy ships by one or two sailors who were likely to perish during the attack.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby La Spezia attractions

1. Ponte Thaon di Revel

0.33 MILES

Opened to much fanfare in 2013, this photogenic cable-stayed pedestrian bridge connects the city with the port. Vaguely resembling a large double-masted…

2. Castello di San Giorgio

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3. Museo Amedeo Lia

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4. Porto Mirabello

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It's worth taking a stroll down to the waterfront and across the scenic Ponte Thaon di Revel for a look at La Spezia's modern, expansive port. You'll see…

5. Via del Prione

0.47 MILES

If you have limited time in La Spezia, make sure you prioritise a stroll along this picturesque pedestrian lane that winds through the historic centre…

6. Castello Doria

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No one knows when the original castle was built, though the current structure – a formidable example of Genoese military architecture – dates from the…

7. Grotta di Byron

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At the end of the quay, a Cinque Terre panorama unfolds from the rocky terraces of a cave formerly known as Grotta Arpaia. Lord Byron once swam across the…

8. Chiesa di San Pietro

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This stunning wind- and wave-lashed church, built in 1198 in Gothic style, stands on the ruins of a 5th-century palaeo-Christian church, with its extant…

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