Museo di Biologia Marina "Pietro Parenzan"

Founded by marine biologist Pietro Parenzan in 1966, Porto Cesareo's Museum of Marine Biology combines scientific collections with exhibits on the local sea. Now part of the University of Salento's museum system, it preserves more than nine hundred biological preparations representing about 690 taxa.

Why it matters

The museum grew from the Stazione di Biologia Marina, inaugurated on 30 July 1966. Parenzan chose Porto Cesareo for the distinctive marine life near the peninsula of La Strea and directed the station until his death in 1992. His work joined research, a library and a public collection, giving the town a scientific institution closely tied to its coastal environment. Since 2009, the museum has belonged to the University of Salento's Sistema Museale di Ateneo.

What to notice

The biological preparations span traditional fluid-preserved specimens and modern resin models. The Sala della Pesca presents resin casts of fish caught locally, with explanatory cards on their anatomy and habits. In the Sala dello Squalo Elefante, a basking shark is set against walls painted to evoke deep water. Other collections include ecological malacology, the algae herbarium Algario “Irma Pierpaoli,” and the “Giangrande” collection of polychaete worms.

Context and history

In 1977, Parenzan donated his collection to the University of Lecce, now the University of Salento, on the condition that it remain in Porto Cesareo and that his speleological material go to Taranto. An agreement among the university, the Province of Lecce and the municipality regularised management in 1999. After renovation, the museum reopened on 10 December 2024 with refreshed displays and a virtual tour. Its collections continue to connect marine science with the fishing community and the biodiversity of the Ionian coast.