It has been twenty years since one of the richest and most complex archaeological sites of the century was discovered on the outskirts of Pisa, in a construction site of the State Railways. Along a now disappeared riverbed, over thirty wrecks of ancient boats were superimposed, swept away by various floods in about a thousand years of history (from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century AD), along with thousands of artifacts in extraordinary state of preservation. Laborious excavations and complex restorations have finally found completion in a new museum exhibition: The Ancient Ships of Pisa, opened to the public last June 16th at the Medici Arsenals.

The exhibition, in almost 5000 square meters divided into eight thematic rooms, tells the history of the city of Pisa from the Etruscan and Roman phases, 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 exhibition of the ships, in particular the Alkedo, a rowing ship for leisure from the Augustan age, to delve into sections dedicated to navigation techniques, life on board, clothing, luggage, up to eating habits, cults, and superstitions.