Podcast
Stories of the sea
A collection of podcasts presenting Stories of the Sea that allow you to explore the Galata Maritime Museum 20 minutes to help you better understand the topics that you’ll learn about when you visit the museum. Every story takes a look at the most important and special works in the museum and is structured as a podcast and a presentation. The Digital Library, the result of the teaching activities carried out over the last 15 years, was made possible thanks to the support of Grimaldi Holding.
Travels
Paintings, boats, models, maps. Let’s check out the sea voyages that changed the world.
““Volendo buscar el levante por el ponente” was the purpose of Columbus’ first expedition: The goal was India, seeking a smoother passage than rounding the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
What was the basics of maritime knowledge to be relied upon in order to tackle the Sea Ocean? Who was Columbus, a navigator from the age of fifteen?”
What was the basics of maritime knowledge to be relied upon in order to tackle the Sea Ocean? Who was Columbus, a navigator from the age of fifteen?”
“Via Trebisonda, Via Tabara, Metelino Square, Via Galata: these are just a few of the names of streets and squares in the city of Genoa. Even the Maritime Museum is named Galata, a reference to a famous tower in Istanbul, Turkey.
Why were these names chosen?
Let’s go back in time and try to understand the origin of this web of locations connected to Genoa starting in the Middle Ages.”
Why were these names chosen?
Let’s go back in time and try to understand the origin of this web of locations connected to Genoa starting in the Middle Ages.”
“The bonus games are simple activities that encourage observation, develop critical thinking skills and foster discussions on our artistic heritage, as well as helping structure a discourse around the meaning of a work and providing some useful starting points when attempting an analysis.
If you’re a teacher, you can use these bonus games with your students at school. If you aren’t a teacher, you can still play this game at home!”
If you’re a teacher, you can use these bonus games with your students at school. If you aren’t a teacher, you can still play this game at home!”
Instruments
No satellites that indicated the ship’s position at sea, no clocks that marked the hour.
Only the ship, the horizon, the sea and the sky and stars.
“Still today, much like sailors 1,000 years ago, a fundamental part of safe navigation is understanding your ship’s position.
Many journeys were relatively short distances and followed familiar routes, often reasonably close to the mainland, but even longer journeys were often successful without any accidents.
In fact, sailors traveled for centuries before technological progress allowed them to precisely indicate the position of their ship.
Let’s discover the collective work of sailors that was carried on for generations and generations that led to discoveries and technological innovation.”
Many journeys were relatively short distances and followed familiar routes, often reasonably close to the mainland, but even longer journeys were often successful without any accidents.
In fact, sailors traveled for centuries before technological progress allowed them to precisely indicate the position of their ship.
Let’s discover the collective work of sailors that was carried on for generations and generations that led to discoveries and technological innovation.”
“While nautical charts and a compass are sufficient to orient a ship in internal seas like the Mediterranean, these instruments weren’t enough when sailors began pushing out into the open ocean starting in 1400.
The understanding of the sky and the use of stars became fundamental in determining latitude, and therefore a ship’s position.
Let’s take a look at the instruments that sailors used throughout the centuries, including the ones that are still used today!”
The understanding of the sky and the use of stars became fundamental in determining latitude, and therefore a ship’s position.
Let’s take a look at the instruments that sailors used throughout the centuries, including the ones that are still used today!”
“The compass is the symbol of orientation and is the oldest tool used for this task, known and found around the world, to the point that it can be considered an invention on the same level as the wheel.
It is fundamental for following a route: the needle of the compass, no matter where we are, always points North.”
It is fundamental for following a route: the needle of the compass, no matter where we are, always points North.”
Observation, inventory and drawing games are tools to encourage viewers to better understand a work of art. The best part of these activities is that they don’t require many materials or preparation. If you are a teacher, you can use these bonus games with your students at school. If you aren’t a teacher, you can still play this game at home!
For most of human history, it wasn’t possible to determine the exact position of a ship at sea. All of the greatest explorers got lost. Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan, Christopher Columbus, Sir Francis Drake… Despite their instruments, charts, compasses and logs, no one had a system to precisely calculate a ship’s position.
Professions
Mapmaker, shipwright, stevedore, boatswain and sailor are just a few of the professions that are part of the complex world of ports and navigation.
Imagine Genoa in the 1500s. Let’s step into the workshop of a mapmaker near the dock, who, perhaps aided by an apprentice, worked on and produced the designs for nautical charts; mapmakers met sailors, captains or merchants at the port as they returned from their journeys, asking them for updates about they places they visited to include them in charts.
Books are full of stories of legendary and brave captains that fuel our imaginations. But captains aren’t just found in books! They are real figures that play an important role and have a lot of responsibility: they are men and women that represent the only commanding authority aboard a ship. Here’s the story of a great, brave captain, or better yet a skipper, that gave it all for the passengers on his ship.
History of Genoa
Genoa’s relationship with the sea over the centuries. Its war galleys, the origins of its port and its evolution to the present day.
“The first three works on display that visitors see focus on the city and its port. A large aerial photograph shows the city as it is today, a design shows what it might be like in the future, and a large painting depicts Genoa and its port as it used to be.
Let’s start with the past.”
From the “Century of the Genoese”, the 1500s, when the Republic of Genoa was rich and powerful, to becoming the main port for emigration from Italy towards the Americas, many events occurred: Genoa went from being an independent republic to being part of Napoleon’s rule, and then part of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
It was the first city bombed from the sea in all of history: it rebuilt its port and enlarged its docks many times until it became the city we see today.
Let’s start with the past.
It was the first city bombed from the sea in all of history: it rebuilt its port and enlarged its docks many times until it became the city we see today.
Let’s start with the past.
Have you ever imagined the perfect version of your city?
The first work that we encounter on our journey is called “Fresco”: it is made up of two very large aerial photographs, about 10 meters long, placed across from each other, showing Genoa from above. The Fresco is an enormous drawing that re-imagines the city of Genoa, in which Renzo Piano reconsiders and designs shared spaces and the port through visions of new infrastructures and hills covered in trees.
The first work that we encounter on our journey is called “Fresco”: it is made up of two very large aerial photographs, about 10 meters long, placed across from each other, showing Genoa from above. The Fresco is an enormous drawing that re-imagines the city of Genoa, in which Renzo Piano reconsiders and designs shared spaces and the port through visions of new infrastructures and hills covered in trees.
“Every year, roughly 350 million tons of plastic are produced around the world, 91% of which is never recycled.
Marine biologists and other scholars who work to protect the health of our oceans handle the enormous task of monitoring and reducing the plastic in our oceans. They study the quantity and types of trash in our seas, calculate how dangerous they are for marine ecosystems, keep individuals informed about the situations of our oceans, create awareness campaigns and propose solutions for industries and consumers.
Every year, roughly 350 million tons of plastic are produced around the world, 91% of which is never recycled.
Marine biologists and other scholars who work to protect the health of our oceans handle the enormous task of monitoring and reducing the plastic in our oceans. They study the quantity and types of trash in our seas, calculate how dangerous they are for marine ecosystems, keep individuals informed about the situations of our oceans, create awareness campaigns and propose solutions for industries and consumers.”
Marine biologists and other scholars who work to protect the health of our oceans handle the enormous task of monitoring and reducing the plastic in our oceans. They study the quantity and types of trash in our seas, calculate how dangerous they are for marine ecosystems, keep individuals informed about the situations of our oceans, create awareness campaigns and propose solutions for industries and consumers.
Every year, roughly 350 million tons of plastic are produced around the world, 91% of which is never recycled.
Marine biologists and other scholars who work to protect the health of our oceans handle the enormous task of monitoring and reducing the plastic in our oceans. They study the quantity and types of trash in our seas, calculate how dangerous they are for marine ecosystems, keep individuals informed about the situations of our oceans, create awareness campaigns and propose solutions for industries and consumers.”