THE
SHIP
Amerigo Vespucci is a sailing vessel, equipped with an auxiliary electric engine. The rigging comprises three vertical masts (the foremast, the main mast and the mizzen mast) equipped with yards and square sails and the bowsprit which functions as a fourth mast. Moreover, she also features fore and aft sails: jibs stay between the masts and the spanker.
TYPE
Three-masted sailing ship
LAUNCHED
22 february 1931
DESING
Commander (GN)
Francesco Rotundi
ROLES
– Navigation training
– Naval diplomacy
– Complementary
interagency use (UNICEF, historical/archaeological heritage, environmental protection – Green Fleet Project – support for scientific and social research, promotion of maritime culture)
DISPLACEMENT
4,200 t
LENGHT
82 m (hull) – 101 m (overall)
BEAM
15.5 m
DRAFT
7.3 m
SAILS
2,650 m²
MASTS
Bowsprit (18 m) / Foremast (50 m) Mainmast (54 m) / Mizzenmast (43 m)
CABLES AND RIGGING
36 km
BOATS
2 motorboats / 2 motor launches / 2 motor pinnaces 4 sailing and rowing lifeboats / 1 rowing and sailing whaleboat
SPEED
15 knots under sail / 11 knots under motor power
INTERNATIONAL CALL SIGN
IABJ
VISUAL IDENTIFIER
A5312
THE
HISTORY
The tall ship “Amerigo Vespucci” is the oldest active military vessel in the Italian Navy. Its motto, “Not who begins, but he who perseveres,” inspired by the words of Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian polymath of the Renaissance, emphasizes the importance of seeing projects through to completion.
Designed and launched by the royal shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia on 22 February 1931, the Amerigo Vespucci was commissioned as a training ship in June of that year. It embarked on its first training voyage through Northern Europe in July 1931. The ship boasts three main decks (upper, middle, and tween) and two superstructures (the forecastle and the aft castle). At the bow, a gilded bronze figurehead depicts Amerigo Vespucci, the 15th-century Italian explorer and navigator who lent his name to the “New World.”
Vespucci Straulino 1965
Olympic torch Vespucci - August 1960
Meeting USS Indipendence 1964
The launch of the Vespucci
Kisses, Amerigo Vespucci 1933, Napoli 1963
The launch of the Vespucci
Celebration of the Reannexation of Trieste to Italy in 1954
ACTIVITIES
Since her launch, the Amerigo Vespucci has been primarily used to train cadets in the first year of the Italian Naval Academy, along with students from the Francesco Morosini Military School, cadets from other Italian Navy training institutions, and young recruits from organizations like Lega Navale and Sail Training Association Italia.
For the last 30 years, the ship has also been employed in safeguarding the natural environment and the maritime ecosystem. It regularly cooperates with associations like UNICEF (as a Goodwill Ambassador since 2007), WWF, and Marevivo, exemplifying the Italian Navy’s policy of Complementary Use, to impart to new generations the importance of respecting our planet. Due to her continuous naval diplomacy missions around the world, Amerigo Vespucci has earned the reputation of being a floating Italian Embassy.
THE CREW
The ship’s crew consists of 264 military personnel, divided into 15 Officers, 30 Non-commissioned Officers, 34 Sergeants, and 185 Petty Officers and Seamen. These members are organized into the following services: Operations, Nautical, Detail/Armaments, Naval/Electrical Engineering, Administrative/Logistics, and Medical. During the Training Campaign, the crew is supplemented by approximately 100 Cadets and support staff from the Naval Academy, bringing the total to around 400 personnel.
COME
ABOARD
Experience the unique opportunity to see the most beautiful ship in the world up close.
Come aboard and take your souvenir photos. The crew members will be happy to answer all your questions along the way.
