The Historic Naval Museum is owned by the Italian Navy, which conserves and administers its collections. The Museum is currently sited in campo S. Biasio near the Arsenale, in one of the ancient 15th-century "grain silos" of the Republic of Venice. The silos were used to store the grain that was baked in special ovens to make a unique type of long-lasting bread called "biscotto," for sailors embarking on the long voyages from the Serenissima. The glory and historic commemoration of the Arsenale and the Republic of Venice and its power is clear in the collections exhibited in the halls of the Historic Naval Museum of Venice the most important military museum in Italy. In addition to this main building, whose total exhibition area spans five stories and covers 4,000 m2 divided into 42 rooms, the Museum now includes the Pavilion of Ships Museum, for 1,250 m2, situated in the "oar workshop" of the Arsenale, the Church of S. Biagio, the ancient church of the Venetian navy. Opening hours: Monday - Friday : from 8:45 am to 1:30 pm Saturday and holiday eves: from 8:45 am to 1:00 pm Sunday and national holidays: closed