Naval History Museum

The Naval History Museum in Venice occupies a former granary of the Venetian Republic at the eastern end of the Arsenale, the great shipyard that once powered the most formidable maritime empire in the Mediterranean. The collections trace the rise and fall of Venetian sea power across centuries, from ornate ceremonial galleys and navigational instruments to models of the warships that defined the Republic's dominance over Adriatic and eastern trade routes. Among the most celebrated exhibits is the gilded ceremonial barge, the Bucintoro, which carried the Doge each Ascension Day for the symbolic marriage of Venice to the sea.

Alongside the main building, visitors can board the Enrico Dandolo, a real Italian Navy submarine that served during the Cold War and now sits in dry dock as a hands-on exhibit. Entry tickets include an audio guide, allowing visitors to move through both the museum galleries and the submarine at their own pace, building a layered picture of Italian and Venetian naval history from the age of oars to the age of diesel engines.