On the 23 March 1996 a public meeting was held by the association Dianae Lacus at the ship museum at the side of Lake Nemi in the Castelli Romani, about 30 km to the southeast of Rome. The proposal was to reconstruct a fully functional sailing replica of the ship that was brought to the surface and on to dry land earlier this century and housed in the present museum. Unfortunately the ships (there were two, though of differing designs) were completely destroyed by fire during World War II.
This public meeting was attended by the mayors of Nemi and Genzano, Dott.ssa Ghina of the Soprintendenza Archeologica di Lazio and representatives of two major shipbuilding yards, Cantiere Navale Torrese di Torre del Greco and Cantiere Navale Sangermani di Lavagna (Genoa). Photographs of the meeting are included here.

Dianae Lacus is an association specifically set up for the purpose of initiating, administering and completing this reconstruction. The association, since its initial unveiling of the plan in March, has achieved the following:

Come to agreement with two major shipyards and set in motion the drawing up of construction plans and preparations for work to commence.
Found and entered into negotiations with a series of potential sponsors of the project.
Convinced the Italian Navy to give its official patronage to the project.
Received exclusive copyright to the images and text from the work of Guido Ucelli, "The Ships of Nemi."
Held presentations presenting the project to the public, also at Torre di Greco.
Set up an international archaeological commission to oversee the scientific aspects of the reconstruction, under the chairmanship of Prof. Gianfrotta, chair of Marine Archeology at the Universita' della Tuscia at Viterbo near Rome.
Obtained official patronage for the project from the Ministero per i Beni Culturali e Ambientali