Megaptere performance - woman washing - sound of whales - white cotton - water - Acquario Romano - Rome - 2001

The idea of building an aquarium in Rome originated with Pietro Garganico, an expert in fish breeding and a native of Como who came to Rome in the early 1880's to devote his energies and efforts to the creation in the Italian Capital of a fish-breeding facility and an aquarium.No remnants of the fish-breeding facility championed by Garganico have reached us, though it is easy to imagine that its relative importance, within the overall design of the building, was entirely marginal.The building was used as a "multi-functional" storage facility, also serving as a site for elections offices and a rationing office, in addition to housing the materials of the Rome Welfare Agency and continuing to collect scenery from the Opera House.