Italian training ship Amerigo Vespucci
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Amerigo Vespucci is a tall ship of the Italian Navy (Marina Militare) named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Her home port is La Spezia, Italy, and she is in use as a training ship.
History
In 1925, the Regia Marina ordered two training ships to a design by General Lieutenant Francesco Rotundi of the Italian Navy Engineering Corps, inspired by the style of large late 18th century 74-cannon ships of the line (like the Neapolitan ship Monarca). The first, the Cristoforo Colombo, was put into service in 1928 and was used by the Italian Navy until 1943. After World War II, this ship was handed over to the USSR as part of the war reparations and was shortly afterwards decommissioned.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The second ship was the Amerigo Vespucci, built in 1930 at the (formerly Royal) Naval Shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia (Naples). She was launched on 22 February 1931,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and put into service in July of that year.
The vessel is a full-rigged three-masted steel hull Template:Cvt long, with an overall length of Template:Cvt including the bowsprit and a maximum width of Template:Cvt. She has a draught of about Template:Cvt and a displacement at full load of 4146 tons. Under auxiliary diesel-electric propulsion the Amerigo Vespucci can reach Template:Convert and has a range of Template:Convert at Template:Convert
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The three steel masts are Template:Convert, Template:Convert, and Template:Convert high, and carry sails totaling Template:Cvt. The Amerigo Vespucci has 26 sails – square sails, staysails, and jibs: all are traditional canvas sails. When under sail in severe sea and wind conditions she can reach Template:Convert. The rig, some Template:Convert of ropes, uses only traditional hemp ropes; only the mooring lines are synthetic, to comply with port regulations.
The hull is painted black with two white stripes, harking back to the two gun decks of the ships her design is based on, but she carries only two 6-pdr saluting guns in pivot mountings on the deck, forward of the mainmast. The deck planks are of teak wood and must be replaced every three years. Bow and stern are decorated with intricate ornaments; she has a life-size figurehead of Amerigo Vespucci. The stern gallery is accessible only through the captain's saloon.
The standard crew of the Amerigo Vespucci is 16 officers, 70 non-commissioned officers and 190 sailors. In summer, when she embarks the midshipmen of the Naval Academy (Accademia Navale), the crew totals some 450.Template:Citation needed
In 1964, the ship was fitted with two 4-stroke, 8-cylinder FIAT B 308 ESS diesel engines, which replaced the original 2-stroke 6-cylinder FIAT Q 426 engines. These engines generated electric power for one electric propulsion motor that produced up to about Template:Cvt.Template:Citation needed
After update works, between 2013 and 2016, the ship has been fitted with two 4-stroke, 12-cylinder MTU, 1,32 MW each diesel engine generators and two 4-stroke, 8-cylinder MTU, Template:Convert each diesel engine generators,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and one NIDEC (Ansaldo Sistemi Industriali) electric engine.<ref>http://www.nidec-asi.com/_modules/download/download/en/Amerigo_Vespucci.pdfTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the same work, the ship was fitted with new radar GEM Elettronica AN/SPS-753(V)5, new satellite antenna ORBIT AL-7103.
When carrying cadets, the ship is usually steered from the manual stern rudder station, which is operated by four steering wheels with two men each. At other times, the hydraulically assisted steering on the bridge is used. Except for the anchor winch, the winches aboard are not power operated. The bridge is equipped with modern electronic navigation instruments.
Other than during World War II, the Amerigo Vespucci has been continually active. Most of her training cruises are in European waters, but she has also sailed to North and South America, and navigated the Pacific. In 2002, she undertook a voyage around the world.
In 1960, Vespucci carried the Olympic torch from Piraeus to Syracuse for the Summer Olympics in Rome.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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While sailing the Mediterranean Sea in 1962, the American aircraft carrier USS Independence flashed the Amerigo Vespucci with the light signal asking: "Who are you?" The full-rigged ship answered: "Training ship Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Navy." The Independence replied: "You are the most beautiful ship in the world."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2022, the Amerigo Vespucci sailed by the American aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, which saluted the ship and commented: "You are still, after 60 years, the most beautiful ship in the world."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Unreliable source<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Amerigo Vespucci often takes part in sailing parades and Tall Ships' Races, where she is in amicable rivalry with the Gorch Fock. When she is berthed in port, public tours of the vessel are usually offered. The ship circumnavigated the globe in 2003. Starting from 2013, the Vespucci depends directly on the Commander in Chief Naval Fleet.
The ship received major modernization works from 2013 to 2016.
On 22 November 2024, Amerigo Vespucci conducted a joint sailing exercise with the INS Taringi of the Indian Navy off the coast of Kochi, India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 30 November 2024, the ship docked at Mumbai for a five-day stopover as a part of its circumnavigation that started in 2023 and included 36 ports and 32 countries; Mumbai marked its 27th stop. The ship's crew, including 270 crew 150 cadets for seamanship training, sailed for 16 days across the Indian Ocean from Phuket to Mumbai.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 9 January 2025, archbishop Santo Marcianò of the Military Ordinariate of Italy designated the ship as a 2025 Jubilee church and site “for sacred pilgrimages and for pious visits among its missions at sea.”<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Tender
In April 2015 tender NC90 was replaced by the following:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- shipyard: Cantiere Nautico Tagliapietra, Venice
- displacement: Template:Convert
- length: Template:Convert
- beam: Template:Convert
- propulsion: 2 x FPT S30 Template:Convert each
- speed: Template:Convert
- range: Template:Convert
See also
References
External links
- Congedati Vespucci Amerigo Vespucci's crew web site
- Italian web site about the Amerigo Vespucci, with images of the interior. (In Italian.)
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