Mostra Storica Arsenale Taranto (Taranto Historical Arsenal Exhibition), Taranto

In the heart of the city of the "Two Seas" an unmissable exhibition that will take you through the stories, vehicles and equipment of a past full of fascinating curiosities. The Historical Artisan Exhibition (Mo.SA) is in the Taranto arsenal and offers visitors the opportunity to discover the history, curiosities and traditions of our navy.

The Historical Artisan Exhibition (Mo.SA) of the Arsenal of Taranto was inaugurated in June 1979 and is located inside a building that is part of the first group of buildings of the Arsenal Among the many memorabilia on display, the rudder of the Christopher Columbus ship and its carved wooden transom stand out. You can also admire, in their beauty and perfection, various scale models of ancient sailing ships and ships of the modern era, several of which were built in the Arsenal (Nave Puglia, Nave Quarto, the Messina ferry, and others.). Some of the original drawings of the Puglia ship, the first built in the Arsenal, are on display, as well as photos of the layout and launch, which took place in 1898. The Arsenal was also the hotbed of artistic and technical talent: the plaster and bronze busts depicting the Duke of Abruzzi, Admiral Brin, Admiral Acton and General Wallone were modeled and cast in the foundry workshop, as well as reproductions of some 18th century cannons. The simulacrum of the Slow Running Torpedo (the famous "pig") testifies to the great exploits of the Royal Navy during World War II, linked to the unforgettable names of Teseo Tesei and the men of the 10th MAS Flotilla. The section concerning machinery includes inventions and patents that highlight the genius, skills and intuition of the old "workers". Here you can admire and study the two inventions of the technical chief Petruzzi: "type of angular coupling" of 1947 and "the device for turning in place the bearings of the propeller shafts" of 1927; the "Nardinocchi" machine from 1937, built to control torpedo guidance; the "metric marker" of 1894; the "steadling friction meter" and the "rocker friction meter" both built by the foreman Rusciano. Finally "the pliers for underwater cutting and welding" designed by the worker De Donato in the 1930s. A series of photos retrace the years of the "Scuola Allievi Operai", a large nursery that trained the workers until the beginning of the 1980s. Adjacent to the exhibition and communicating with it, there is the immense tracing room which has represented the heart of shipbuilding for many years. You can admire what remains of the old wooden floor set on masonry arches which allowed the passage of air below the floor. Inside the tracing room, ancient work machines and a small collection of war weapons are displayed in all their beauty.

The Mostra Storica Arsenale (Mo.SA), formerly Mostra Storica Artigiana, is a permanent exhibition of naval memorabilia and other objects that tell the story of the Arsenal of Taranto, the city and the Navy. It is located inside the Maritime Military Arsenal of Taranto and includes the exhibition spaces of the Exhibition and the Tracing Hall. Inaugurated in 1979, the exhibition has collected testimonies and memorabilia from the Navy ships and the Arsenal workshops from the beginning. Over the years it has become a point of reference for scholars, historians and enthusiasts of naval history and the recent history of Taranto. Currently the Historical Exhibition reports directly to the Deputy Director of the Arsenal - General Affairs Section - 3rd Unit. It is open to visits every day from Monday to Friday according to specific methods. The visits are totally free and guided. In 2022 and 2023 the Historical Exhibition obtained TripAdvisor 's Travelers' Choice recognition. The Historical Exhibition hosts a valuable collection of scale models of vessels and naval units, including those built and launched in the Taranto Arsenal: Nave Puglia, launched in 1898 and today located in the gardens of the Vittoriale degli Italiani in Gardone Riviera, the ferry Messina, built for the State Railways, the GO9 floating dock and many others. Among the most precious models, that of the Caio Duilio, considered one of the most faithful models in the world. Furthermore, a life-size simulacrum of the Slow Running Torpedo, built in the arsenal, is on display. Among the naval relics are a frieze of the transom and the ankle wheel of the Christopher Columbus, the torn sheet metal of the stern funnel of the Nave Giulio Cesare and the remains of the projectile that hit it, the bow strut of the Nave Duilio. ***PH***