“MeM Memorie e Migrazioni” (MeM Memories and Migrations).
The new pavilion, a proper Museum inside the Museum, tells the public the history of the Italian migrations and the new immigration. With its 1200 square metres and over 40 multimedia stations, it shows environmental reconstructions of the very different destinations of the Italians: urban, like the Boca of Buenos Aires, rural, like the Brazilian fazenda, or the more renowned Ellis Island. The last section is dedicated to the immigration to Italy and set up for the first time in a permanent cultural institutional site. Worth a mention is the presence of a “barcone” (derogatory term for big boat) used by North Africans for the crossing of the Strait of Sicily, flanked by photographic and filmed evidence of the sea rescues, the landings and also the shipwrecks, (courtesy of Tg1, Harbour Master’s Office and “Guardia di Finanza” Italian Finance Police). Subsequently one can follow the stations dedicated to the development of the migration trend, linked not only to social emergency but also to works and crafts, to the school world and to the ties of the immigrants to their country of origin: different reconstructions and multimedia stations help the visitor to go deep in to this devastating reality .
Sala Armatori (Shipowners Hall)
From March 2017 the Sala degli Armatori (Shipowners Hall) is opened to the public, a new set-up for the hall of the steamship dedicated to the history of Genoa and its port through its protagonists: The shipowners. A strict cooperation between the Mu.MA Institution and the Associazione Promotori Musei del Mare (Association of Mediterranean Maritime Museums) led to the birth of this project.
This hall combines innovation, multimedia and scenography with marine history and with extraordinary economic and human events of the shipowners’ families. This set-up shows 18 ship models among which cargo and passenger ships; 4 footages realized to tell some main events on board of the steamship when shipowners and politicians decided the future of the marine and the Genoese economic recovery; two full wall projections: a bombing during the Second World War and a maneuver in the Port of Genoa; the recreation of the bridge of a cargo ship with the simulator to lead visitors in three missions. The path is divided into 6 sections – port, trades, public/private, crews, profession, innovation, goods – provided with photos, documents, texts and voices to show visitors all the aspects of the profession of the shipowner.
Interactive pre-show to discover Sauro’s Secrets
The pre-show of the submarine Nazario Sauro, rebuilt on the third floor of the Galata Museo del Mare, does not intend to replace but to complete and prepare for the visit of the submarine. This section allows the visitor to interact with some of the onboard instruments with more time on hand; for example, you can experiment the submarine immersion and rise techniques, some aspects of life onboard, use of the periscope and hydrophone. Furthermore, the pre-show allows the categories of people who will not be able to access to the vessel (disabled, pregnant women, children under the age of 4) the opportunity to live a unique experience, immersive and enthralling.
