Milano’s Civic Aquarium is a great place for a family visit or for a school trip but it also offers an interesting scientific and cultural browsing opportunity for lovers of the sea.

Established in 1906, it is one of the oldest in the world and is the only remaining building of the more complex structure built for the 1906 International Expo on the occasion of its inauguration. It was constructed upon the urban area that later became Parco Sempione.

The Aquarium is housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau edifice whose external facades are still richly adorned in ancient reliefs of fish, crustaceans, lobsters and turtles with polychrome friezes and hand-painted tiles depicting species of fish and aquatic flora to hint at the treasures within; a statue of Neptune stands proudly above the entrance to greet the visitors. 

Between 2003 and 2006 the building was completely renovated internally with a new section dedicated to the marine world and another dedicated to fishing.

The various tanks cover the entire ‘journey’ of water - our precious and essential asset for life - from the mountain streams to the oceanic environments, with particular attention to the Italian fresh and saltwater milieus.