Those mooring at Marina Porto Antico di Genova never get bored: it’s just a short walk to attractions like the Genoa Aquarium, the Bigo, the Neptune Galleon, as well as Villa Principe, Piazza Ferrari, the carruggi alleyways, Via del Campo, and more. But that’s not all – for enthusiasts of nautical matters, diving, and history, just a few steps from our berths there’s also the Nazario Sauro submarine, open for visits. It’s a real submarine, the only one in Italy that can be visited while in water, which served in the Italian Navy until 2002 and has been open to the public since 2010. Here’s some information to help you plan your visit to the Nazario Sauro submarine, just a 5-minute walk from our marina!

Why it’s called Nazario Sauro

First, it’s worth knowing that this submarine moored in Genoa’s ancient port isn’t the only visitable one in Italy: there are also the Enrico Toti (S 506) and the Enrico Dandolo (S 513), exhibited in Milan and Venice respectively. However, the Nazario Sauro is the only one displayed in water. But why is it named this way? Nazario Sauro was a maritime commander of Istrian origin, famous for being a great patriot and Italian irredentist; he enlisted in the Italian Royal Navy during World War I, despite being an Austro-Hungarian citizen, and became a Lieutenant. In 1916, he was captured and subsequently executed in Pola for high treason. A key figure in Italian irredentism, his name was first given to a destroyer of the Royal Navy, used during World War II and sunk in the Red Sea in 1941; and later to this submarine.

Some facts about the Nazario Sauro

The Nazario Sauro submarine was built by Fincantieri in the Monfalcone shipyard and launched in 1976. It’s 63 meters long, 6.8 meters wide, and 5.7 meters high, powered by 3 diesel engines and an electric motor, with a 7-blade propeller. Submerged, it can reach speeds of up to 20 knots, reduced to 12 knots when surfaced. The Nazario Sauro’s crew consisted of 49 people.

This was the first of a series of submarines that still counts 4 operational models today; the Nazario Sauro entered service in 1980 and remained active until 2002. During the Cold War years, this underwater vessel was widely used, being among the largest Italian submarines of the post-war period.

Visiting the Nazario Sauro

Currently, the submarine is located outside the Galata Maritime Museum. Engines, radar, crew voices, torpedo launchers: the submarine’s conversion into a museum exhibition aimed to keep this vessel as “intact” as possible. To allow visitors to best enjoy their submarine tour – which is timed due to size constraints – Galata has established a pre-show, presenting a faithful reconstruction of the submarine that can be visited at leisure, helping visitors become familiar with the submarine environment before entering. Once inside the submarine, visitors can understand how challenging it was to serve in such a “unique” environment, which certainly wasn’t without its discomforts.

It should be noted that in 2022, after 12 years as a museum piece, the Nazario Sauro underwent a restoration at the La Spezia arsenal. As a result, the submarine is now in perfect condition!