The Wholesale Fishing Market was designed by the architect Luigi Onorati and it came into operation in 1935. The building has a central construction used both for the auction and for the general facilities. It is flanked by two side structures in the shape of "L" for the warehouses. In 1948 the central pavilion was made of masonry. Some refurbishment was carried out because the pavilion was heavily bombed during World War II.
In 1956 the Fish Museum was founded to collect and preserve in chemical solution the most common fish species that pass through the local market.
In 1997 the Fishing Market was expanded and in 2002 the new electronic auction system was inaugurated. Today the Fishing Market is still running and some of its structures have been assigned to the sections of the Museum (Museo del Mare).