"Cleto Ciocchini" Museum of the Harbor Man, Mar del Plata

Cleto Ciocchini Harbor Man’s Museum

So closely tied to life in Mar del Plata, the harbor was portrayed in the artistic work of painter Cleto Ciocchini.

Harbor life, its characters and the typical sceneries that give shape to it have been faithfully reflected on the work of plastic artist Cleto Ciocchini.

Even though this painter was born in the district of San Vicente, in Buenos Aires, in 1899, he spent over forty years in the Mar del Plata harbor neighborhood. And it was this experience which represented his major source of inspiration for all his artistic production.

Awarded in various halls both in the country and in Europe, Ciocchini has received a fair recognition from the City of Mar del Plata when the museum dedicated to the harbor’s past was named after him.

Fishing pier
In the Harbour Centre
Oil paintings of Cleto Ciocchini
Closely linked to the life of Mar del Plata

In addition to preserving the most important collection by the artist, the Harbor Man’s Museum rescues the history and culture of the harbor, everything from facts and anecdotes of the first settlement to the present harbor community lifestyle. The various building and development stages, in the early XX century are evidenced in several historical documents and photographs.

Likewise, period images showing pioneer families, the first anglers and their traditions, the various immigrant communities, their values and beliefs are displayed in the museum rooms.

Along with the past of the shipyards and its longshoremen, oil paintings can also be admired. Some of them include “Quico”, which pays homage to a well-known fisherman from Mar del Plata, and the painting of the Sacred Family Parrish, the first church built in the harbor area, starting point for religious pilgrimages.

Outside the docks, only the Ciocchini Museum can make visitors feel close to the typical charm surrounding the harbor.