Top 10 Things to do Good for a Rainy Day in Chioggia, Veneto

At the Museum "Giuseppe Olivi" visitors can examine many Adriatic organisms and learn about their characteristics and the typical marine and brackish environments of this area. In each room, descriptive panels and multimedia stations introduce themes concerning the loss of biodiversity, the fragility of ecosystems and the vulnerability of species. These presentations are aimed to provide insights into the relationship between man and sea ecosystems, tradition and innovation in the use of resources, and the future of managing activities. We hope the museum "Giuseppe Olivi" shall contribute to the raising of respect and responsibility towards the sea, an inheritance which, today more than ever, requires a sustainable approach to be managed.

The Museum is housed in the old convent of "San Francesco fuori le mura", whose building dates back to 1315. In 1806, the church was deconsecrated and the convent became a warehouse; since 1997, thanks to the contribution of European Union, the spaces hold the exhibition halls. The itinerary starts on the ground floor with various antiquities found in the Venetian lagoon. Ceramics, glasses and coins tell us about the way of life and the city-trades from the pre-Roman times. The room on the first floor is devoted to the cartographer Sabbadino, who realized an accurate map of Chioggia in 1557. Several saltpans are depicted: in the Middle Ages, the city was an important centre for the production of the precious "sal Clugiae". On the second floor, the exhibit explores the local shipbuilding system and the professions of seafaring. Among the numerous models, the most typical one is the "Bragozzo", a local 19th-century boat, with its sails, nets and windshields.