The Maritime Museum was founded in 1988 , thanks to Washington Patrignani (1915-1999), a retired professor, historian and naval technique, who had collected the objects kept by sailors on board or in their yards. His idea was to create a museum of the sea to illustrate the work done in shipyards, showing tools, tackle, clothes, images and small sailing boats. A number of people in Pesaro helped Patrignani with the project: Floro and Gaetano Gennari, Giuseppe Ortolani, Paolo Pompei, Dino Rondolini, and in particular Renato Bertini and Umberto Spadoni who collaborated with him in setting up the museum itself and on the preparation of a museum guide: Guida Breve al Museo del Mare (1989); the graphic design is by Massimo Dolcini. The museum was closed in the mid-nineties and reopened to the public in 2007. The museum is housed in Villa Molarini, which was restored thanks to Renco Company.