The 'E. Maio Masci' Naval Museum of Francavilla al Mare is a private entity owned by the Abruzzese Centre for Naval Culture and Tradition Studies, which manages it directly. The Museum is located in 'Torre Ciarrapico', a historic building in Francavilla al Mare that is part of the municipal heritage and has been entrusted on a twenty-year loan to the Centre for Studies. The building is situated in the highest area of the hilly urban core, in a panoramic position dominating the entire town and, together with the nearby remains of the 14th-century Church of San Francesco and the adjacent towers of the ancient walls, constitutes the only remaining evidence of the archaic urban nucleus. The Museum was inaugurated on June 20, 2015, and spans four floors enriched with functional accessory areas: a habitable attic hosting the storage and restoration workshops, and a large fenced garden, the venue for numerous events, especially in summer, organized directly by the Centre for Studies or by other local Associations connected to it.