What happened to Emperor Caligula's ships at the Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi?

The two gigantic ships belonging to Emperor Caligula were recovered from Lake Nemi between 1929 and 1931 and housed in a museum built specifically for them from 1933 to 1939. Unfortunately, both ships measuring 71.30 x 20 m and 73 x 24 m were destroyed during a fire in 1944, though the museum has since been restored and reopened with reconstructions and surviving artifacts on display.

What can you see in the left wing of the Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi?

The left wing features original ship materials and reconstructions including bronze roof tiles, two anchors, a full-scale reconstruction of the stern section, shipboard equipment like a noria and piston pump, and two 1:5 scale models of Caligula's original ships. These exhibits provide insight into the engineering and daily operations of ancient Roman luxury vessels.

What historical artifacts are displayed in the right wing of the Nemi Museum?

The right wing showcases votive materials and religious artifacts from various sites including Velletri, Campoverde, Genzano, and the Sanctuary of Diana, along with pieces from the Ruspoli Collection. The wing also features a musealized section of the Roman paving of the clivus Virbii, the ancient road that connected Ariccia to the Sanctuary of Diana.

Why was the Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi built in such a unique way?

The museum was designed specifically around its contents between 1933 and 1939, making it the first museum in Italy to be built according to its collections rather than following a standard architectural plan. The two enormous ships recovered from Lake Nemi—the flagship treasures of Emperor Caligula—were so significant that the entire museum structure was created to house and display them.

When is the best time to visit the Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi?

The Museum of Roman Ships has had a complex history, being closed and reopened multiple times, but it has been permanently open since 1988. Visitors should plan their trip during regular museum hours and note that the museum offers a fascinating glimpse into Roman maritime engineering and religious practices through both original artifacts and carefully reconstructed pieces.

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Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi

Name: Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi
Rating: 4.1

Via Diana, 13, 00074 Nemi RM, Italy• ★★★★☆• 144 views

Paola Meret

About Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi

Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi - 13 | Secret World Trip Planner

The Museum was built between 1933 and 1939 to house two gigantic ships that belonged to Emperor Caligula (37-41 A.D.) recovered in the waters of the lake between 1929 and 1931. It was thus the first museum in Italy to be built according to its contents, two hulls measuring 71.30 x 20 m and 73 x 24 m respectively, which were unfortunately destroyed during a fire in 1944. Reopened in 1953, the Museum was closed again in 1962 and finally finally reopened for good in 1988.

In the new layout, the left wing is devoted to ships, of which some materials are on display, such as a reconstruction of the roof with bronze tiles, two anchors, the lining of the bow wheel, some original or reconstructed shipboard equipment (a noria, a piston pump, a block, a platform on ball bearings). Also on view are two 1:5 scale models of the ships and a full-scale reconstruction of the stern aposticle of the first ship, on which bronze copies of boxes with ferine protomes were placed.

The right wing, on the other hand, is devoted to the peopling of the Albanian territory in the Republican and Imperial ages, with special emphasis on places of worship; votive materials from Velletri (S. Clemente), Campoverde (Latina) from Genzano (Pantanacci stipe) and the Sanctuary of Diana in Nemi, as well as materials from the Ruspoli Collection, are displayed there. Inside this wing it is also possible to admire a musealized section of the Roman paving of the clivus Virbii, which led from Ariccia to the Sanctuary of Diana.