Civico Aquario Marino della Città di Trieste

Penguin Marco’s House

Inside the building that once housed the city's central fish market is now Civic Marine Aquarium of Trieste. Inaugurated in 1933, it overlooks the sea and is the ideal place to learn about the marine species that inhabit the Gulf of Trieste.

The site features a peculiar collection of water, taken directly from the sea at the base of the pier and pumped into the clock tower at a height of about 10 metres: it is first deposited in a large decantation tank, then dropped to the ground floor, thanks to a continuous exchange, ensuring the plankton content remains intact.

The Marine Aquarium in Trieste has two exhibition floors and 25 tanks, reproducing different marine environments. Downstairs, smaller tanks are home to fish and crustaceans from the Adriatic Sea, while rays and sharks swim in the large octagonal tank. A vivarium, with terrariums and a central tank, where the biotope of the karst ponds has been recreated, is on the upper floor.

For 31 years, the Aquarium has been home to the penguin, Marco, famous in half of Europe: picked up in South Africa, he has become the city's beloved mascot.