Museum of Ships of Rome

MUSEUM OF SHIPS OF ROME

Inside the Museum of Ships are exposed the remains of five boats (more fragments of side of the other two) dating from the 2nd to the 5th century AD.
The wrecks were brought to light between 1958 and 1965 during the construction of the Leonardo da Vinci International Airport.
Only the bottom structures of the bottom of the ship, which, covered with marine sediments, have resisted the destruction of water, flora and fauna.
The ships were placed inside the port built by Emperor Claudio in the 1st century BC. BC, in an area between the site of the museum building and the remains of the northern pier of the dock.
In this area, located in a marginal position and subject to deforestation, there was a real "naval cemetery" where boats were abandoned too badly to serve again.
Of the five best preserved boats, two (Fiumicino 1 and 2) are identifiable with the naval caudicariae known by ancient sources.
The caudicariae, which were large river barges, were used for the carriage of goods from the seaport to the river ports of Rome.
These barges, without sails, were driven by men's ropes (the helciarii mentioned by the classical sources) or by oxen that proceeded along the Tiber river.
This propulsion system, called lawn, was used until the end of the 19th century. Fiumicino 3 is also a river type boat, but smaller than the previous one.
Fiumicino 4, originally equipped with a square sail, is a boat suitable for a maritime cabotage or a coastal fishing activity.
The latter was also used by the small "Fisherman's Boat" (Fiumicino 5) equipped with a central nursery for the transport of fish. The bottom of the hull was, in fact, pierced at the nursery, in order to allow the internal circulation of the water and to keep the fish so alive.

Inside the museum are also exposed many objects related to life and equipment on board as well as to the types of materials that were transported by sea to the port of Rome (amphorae, marbles, etc.).

Common: Fiumicino
Address: via Alessandro Guidoni, 35/37

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