The Italian Palace is an object of historical and cultural heritage of federal (all—Russian) significance, one of the largest buildings in Kronstadt, whose history begins in the first quarter of the XVIII century.
After the construction was completed, the palace was transferred to the Imperial Court. Since 1764, the building was transferred to the Navy, and after 1771, the Naval Cadet Corps was located in the Italian Palace. Then the Navigation School, the Technical School of the Maritime Department, and the Naval Engineering School of Nicholas I were located within the walls of the palace. The Italian Palace and the educational institutions that were located within its walls were famous for their graduates.
The Marine Cadet Corps educated Admirals I.F. Kruzenshtern, F.F. Bellingshausen, M.P. Lazarev, V.M. Golovnin, P.P. Ricord, G.A. Sarychev, D.N. Senyavin and many others. Among the graduates of the Navigation College are renowned navigators, hydrographers, participants and leaders of hydrographic expeditions, discoverers of new lands A.P. Andreev, V.M. Babkin, P.K. Pakhtusov, I.S. Sergeev; Shipbuilders, theorists and practitioners of military and civil shipbuilding in Russia K.P. Boklevsky, I.G. Bubnov, V.P. Vologdin, E.E. Gulyaev, V.P. Kostenko, N.N. Kuteynikov, AP. Shershov, Yu.A. Shimansky and many others were graduates of the Marine Engineering College.
After the revolution, the Italian Palace was occupied by the House of the Red Army and Navy, the Baltic Fleet Theater and other institutions.
In 2011, the western wing of the Italian Palace was transferred to the branch of the Central Naval Museum "Kronstadt Fortress". Today, the museum consists of 6 exhibition halls and 5 exhibition halls.
