The Museum of Roman Ships on Lake Nemi

Sometimes it happens to discover beautiful and interesting things in a completely random way. One day in November 2016 we were in Lazio for a meeting of the Strabordo Association, of which we were and are part; while we waited for the other participants to arrive, we took a small road that from the town of Nemi took us to this Museum of Roman Ships, located right on the shores of Lake Nemi, of which we show you a photo taken from the road:

Arriving at the end of the road, we found this beautiful accessible structure, the description of which we leave as reported on the website of the Regional Directorate of Museums of Lazio of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage (http://www.polomusealelazio.beniculturali.it/index.php?it/229/museo-nazionale-delle-navi-romane): The Museum was built between 1933 and 1939 to house two gigantic ships that belonged to the emperor Caligula (37-41 AD) recovered in the lake between 1929 and 1931. It was therefore the first museum in Italy to be built in depending on the content, two hulls measuring respectively m. 71.30 x 20 and m. 73 x 24, unfortunately destroyed during a fire in 1944. Reopened in 1953, the Museum was closed again in 1962 and finally reopened in 1988. In the new layout, the left wing is dedicated to the ships, of which some materials are exhibited, such as the reconstruction of the roof with bronze tiles, two anchors, the lining of the bow wheel, some original or reconstructed on-board tools (a noria , a plunger pump, a block, a platform on ball bearings). Also visible are two models of the ships in 1: 5 scale and the true-scale reconstruction of the stern aft of the first ship, on which the bronze copies of the boxes with feral protomes have been placed. The right wing is instead dedicated to the settlement of the Albanian territory in the republican and imperial age, with particular regard to places of worship; there are votive materials from Velletri (S. Clemente), from Campoverde (Latina) from Genzano (stipe di Pantanacci) and from the Sanctuary of Diana in Nemi, as well as materials from the Ruspoli Collection. Let's take a look at the images of the museum, starting with the facade:

Mosaic of the floor of a ship, recovered in 2017 and exhibited at the museum in March 2021 (photo artemagazine.it)

Copy of a decoration supporting the rudder of the second ship with an apotropaic hand

Bronze three-part bow wheel from the first ship

Mosaic from the House of Anchor in Pompeii. It represents an anchor identical to the one found in Nemi in 1930

True reconstruction of the stern apostrophe of the first ship

Reconstruction of the rudder blade of the second ship

Reconstruction of the platform on bronze spheres found on the first ship and used for lifting heavy weights

Actaeon. Bust in white marble. First half II century. A.D. (from Castel Gandolfo, Orti di San Lorenzo)

Statue of emperor on the throne (probably Caligula)

Minerva. Pavonazzetto marble statue; head, hands and feet of modern age in white marble.

Corinthian type bronze helmet

We do not know how many things have changed, five years after our visit, how many new acquisitions there have been, if it is possible to reach the upper balcony, from which to have a view from above of the reconstructions of the ships. However, we think that the visit to this Museum of Roman Ships is still worth the trip to Nemi, even if the village is said to be prohibitive for us. Let us know if you go there what your experience is and we hope that the next reopening of the museums will be lasting. Good recovery to all!