The "Sea Maritime Museum" is currently housed on the premises of the Nautical and Technical Institute "Duca degli Abruzzi" of Naples, on Via di Pozzuoli, 5, in Bagnoli. The Museum has been created to plug a gap among the Museums of Science in Naples, by fostering the spread of a "Culture and knowledge of the Sea", in order to preserve the maritime and nautical heritage of Naples.
The patrimony of the Museum represents a unique piece of evidence of the development of the navy tradition of the city over the last three centuries. The initial core of the Museums dates back to 1904. In this year the Royal Technical Institute of Naples "Duca degli Abruzzi", proud of a long and notable tradition in the field of teaching the art of navigation and of a vast knowledge of the marine environment, achieved scholastic autonomy in the all-time building in via Tarsia.
This Museum, thanks to its scientific and technical patrimony, has been considered as "European Naval Museum" (since 21/12/1992) by the Ministry of Tourism, and also as "Museum of regional interest" since December 2007. For this reason it was awarded a gold medal during the Berlin Universal Exhibition in 1910 and during the Universal Exhibition in Genova in 1914.
In 1992 it became a specialised facility inside the Nautic Institute, and, on the occasion of the "Colombiadi", it became enjoyable by the public. In 1997 it became member of the Association of the Mediterranean Museums patronized by the Maritime Museum of Barcellona. In 2007 it has changed its name in Foundation Thetys- Museo del Mare.
