Twenty years have passed since one of the richest and most complex archaeological deposits of the century was discovered on the outskirts of Pisa, in a construction site of the State Railways. Along a now disappeared river bed, over thirty wrecks of ancient boats overlapped, overwhelmed by various floods in approximately a thousand years of history (from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century AD), as well as thousands of finds in an extraordinary state of conservation. Laborious excavations and complex restorations have finally found their conclusion in a new museum exhibition: The Ancient Ships of Pisa, inaugurated to the public last June 16th at the Medici Arsenals.

The exhibition, in almost 5000 square meters divided into eight thematic rooms, tells the story of the city of Pisa from the Etruscan and Roman phases, up to the arrival of the Lombards. The focus is dedicated to the city's relationship with water and catastrophic floods; two bays of the arsenals are occupied by the complete display of the ships, in particular the Alkedo , a pleasure rowing ship from the Augustan age, for further information with the sections dedicated to navigation techniques, life on board, clothing, luggage , up to eating habits, cults and superstitions.