We visit the famous Marineria Museum in Cesenatico, the only floating museum in Italy, set up along the Canal Port designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
It was a long time I wanted to visit Museum of the Marinery of Cesenatico and finally the occasion presented during a weekend between the Riviera Romagnola and the Valmare.
A pleasant bike ride fromHotel Villa Claudia, the cozy 3 star hotel in Bellaria where I stayed, and in less than an hour, along the promenade, I reached the Leonardesco channel port designed by Leonardo da Vinci.
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Porto Canale di Cesenatico: The Genius of Leonardo da Vinci
Already, they are not in many to know, but precisely to the Tuscan genius one owes the plant of Cesenatico and the reorganization of the Port Leonardesco , designed in 1502 by Caesar Borgia and equipped with the famous "wind doors", still today called win doors.
It is an ingenious system of locks anchored on robust wedge pillars, which open and close using the water force in case of high or low tide.
Their function, the result of a brilliant intuition, is to allow the closure of the entrance of the port when the level of the sea exceeds that of the docks, containing the flood of the sea and thus avoiding the flood of the old town. What are there today at the mouth of the Porto Canale Cesenatico are practically new, in fact they were made only about ten years ago.
From here begins walk to the old town, not before making a stop at Sloppy Joe’s, one of the coolest in the area, perfect for an aperitif, a fish lunch or a cheerful evening with live music and DJ sets. You find it on the pier of Levante, right under the lighthouse, you can't miss it. Make yourself comfortable, order a drink and enjoy the sea breeze and the flight of the seagulls between the boat's boulevards and the colourful trampolines on the other side.
Historical Boats and Colorful Veils of the Marine Museum
Today they are mainly motorboats and boats, but once from here they sailed the boats with the sails to the third, large, trapezoidal and colorful, which have made the history of the marinery of the Upper Adriatic.
A simple story, which tells of fishing trips and maritime traffics, rough seamen to challenge the waves and women and children to wait on the ground. A courageous everyday life that for centuries has marked the coasts from Chioggia to S.Benedetto del Tronto and today is celebrated in Museum of the Marinery of Cesenatico.
The only floating museum in Italy, and among the few in the world: this is why it deserves a visit if you are in the area.
Moored along the canal, in the most picturesque part of the historic center, the boats are there waiting for you in all their splendor, with the islands (but only from Easter to October) as if they had to sail from one moment to another.
I'm about ten in everything. representing the typical boats that crossed the Adriatic between the middle of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, including two fishing boats, three bragozzi, a battana, a mouse, a spear, a paranza and the transport trabaccolo Giovanni Pascoli, launched in 1936.
Considered the flagship of the fleet Museum of Marineria Cesenatico, in summer Giovanni Pascoli is open to the public: you can board and take a look inside the hold and the cabins.
What really makes the floating section spectacular are the big sails to the third, brightly coloured and decorated with drawings characteristic of the different families, revealing a true "marriage herald", while on the hulls are imprinted magic symbols such as the " bow eyes" or the "zoje" (the joys).
Marinery Nativity: A Unique Tradition in Your Genre
In winter the sails are lowered for clear reasons of safety, but the Museum of Marineria Cesenatico back to live under Christmas, when the boats become the stage of the Marineria Presepe, a unique masterpiece in the world, able to transform the Canal Port into a spectacle of magic and tradition. Built on the historic sailing boats of the floating exhibition, this crib combines art, history and spirituality in an evocative setting. The statues, carved in wood and painted by hand, depict not only the classic characters of the Nativity, but also symbolic figures of the local marinery, like fishermen and women of the village. At night, with the lights reflected on the water, the crib gives an enchanted atmosphere, an unmissable experience that celebrates the deep bond between Cesenatico and its sea.
Section to Earth: Teaching and Permanent Exhibitions Route
In all seasons it is possible to visit the Section at Terra del Museo della Marineria di Cesenatico, a fascinating journey in the history and traditions of Adriatic navigation. Here, among ancient perfectly restored boats, nautical instruments and detailed reconstructions, you can discover the ingenuity and daily life of the Romagna sailors. The heart of the exhibition is transport trabaccolo, an imposing sailboat with original decorations, which tells the merchant past of the city. Each exhibited object, from networks to timoni, narrates stories of fatigue, adventure and passion for the sea, giving visitors an immersive and engaging experience.
