Permanent exhibitions in the Spanish Fortress
In Porto Santo Stefano, two exhibitions tell the story of Argentario and its connection to the sea
The Spanish Fortress in Porto Santo Stefano is a military construction which dates back to the 17th century and overlooks the town. Today, the building is home to two permanent exhibitions, “Memorie sommerse” (Submerged Memories) and “Maestri d’ascia” (Shipwrights), set up with the intention of illustrating the history of the area.
The exhibition “Submerged memories” is dedicated to the underwater archaeological findings and shows ruins, mostly from the Roman era, found in the waters around the Giannutri and Giglio Islands and, in general, around the coast of Argentario. A special space is reserved for the discovery of the 6th-century B.C. wreck at Campese, probably of Greek origin: among the objects on display are metals, ointments, amphorae, a writing tablet and a wooden gauge.
Two rooms on the second floor, on the other hand, house the interesting exhibition "Shipwrights", dedicated to craftsmen capable of "making wood sail", with evidence of the art of ship carpentry. There are scale models of typical boats (mostly related to fishing), from the oldest to modern ones.
