CoDe: The First Design Museum on a Cruise Ship

Italian Design Museum on Costa Smeralda Celebrates Italy's Global Influence

The inspiration for CoDe came from the idea of having a concentrated summary of the ship's theme, Italy's Finest, at the heart of the ship. Just as every major international city has a proud display of cultural heritage in its museums, CoDe was created to serve as the metropolitan epicenter of the ship. The interactive and engaging experience invites guests to step into the Bel Paese through the most iconic Italian designs.

As the first design museum on a cruise ship, CoDe showcases the broad and renowned creative Italian talents that transformed the world with innovation, design, and style. The collection's 470 exhibits connect to the history of Made in Italy, making these design objects true points of reference for Italy's global influence from the 1930s to the present.

Located in a high traffic area onboard Costa Smeralda, the museum was designed around a walking path portal made up of a series of stainless steel arches. This design encourages guests to return to the museum many times throughout their trip, discovering more of the CoDe collection of iconic Italian design and culture at each visit.

Curator Matteo Vercelloni contributed his expertise in Italian architecture and design as well as extensive research on Italian design from the 1930s to the present. The CoDe collection of 470 exhibits was meticulously researched and selected for its storyline and representation of iconic Italian design, its global impact and its connection to the ship's theme Italy's Finest.

The museum presents the vitality of objects and furnishings that remain the classics of Italian design from the 1930s to the present. Each exhibit is intricately connected to the history of Made in Italy, a sentiment that represents the value of expertise and invention in the “Bel Paese,” making these design objects true points of reference for Italy’s global influence.

CoDe was introduced in December 2019 onboard the new cruise ship, Costa Smeralda, as a permanent feature of the ship. The design was awarded Golden in A' Cultural Heritage and Culture Industry Design Award in 2020 for its marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creation that reflects the designer's prodigy and wisdom.