Museo del Mare, Trieste, Italy

This exhibition was first set up in 1904, when the fishing society, founded in 1888, opened a museum of fishing. The museum was enlarged over the years and changed location a number of times. It is now not more than ten minutes from the central Piazza dell'Unità d'Italia. It is arranged over three levels; on the ground floor area various models of old and medieval boats, with panels illustrating the evolution of the boats and nautical instruments. There are two small rooms which are dedicated to Josef Ressel, the first man to experiment with propellers, and to Guglielmo Marconi, where some radio technical equipment that was found on board the ship Elettra is on display. The first floor is dedicated to marine life in 19th Century Trieste, with some enchanting models of sailing ships. The top floor is the place to find out about the origins of steamers, with a ship and some working models of machines and motors. There are also plastic models of the port of Trieste and other nearby ports as well as many nautical maps, photos and prints. Some rooms are devoted to modern fishing, with equipment, boats and models. There is also a rich library with thousands of antique and modern texts and publications about the sea.