Amerigo Vespucci

Hi everyone, another one of my 'whatever else' posts and what beautiful weather we are enjoying, blue skies and lots of sun!
Which means time to enjoy the outdoors and whatever it has to offer!

Saturday we spent the day exploring this beautifully crafted Italian Naval Training ship which was docked in Portsmouth Harbour for a few days. This Italian Naval ship was named after a Florentine nobleman, Amerigo Vespucci, who was born on 9 March 1454, a prominent explorer of the New World, and is the oldest sailing ship in the Italian Navy.  

Her motto was taken from the notebooks of Leonardo de Vinci:

Non chi comincia

ma quel, che persevera

Not he who begins,

but he who perseveres

 The ship was designed by Lt Colonel Francesco Rotundi of the Corps of Naval Engineers and was built and outfitted in the Castellamara di Stabia-based Naval Royal Shipyards (near Naples, southern Italy).  She was launched on 22 February 1931.

In July 1931 she sailed for her first training    cruise in Northern Europe.  Of course the ship has been refitted several times since she was first built.  In the year 2000, the ship was fitted out to accommodate female crew members.  

 During their first year of training the naval crew embark on a 27 day journey visiting different naval ports.  Their visit to Portsmouth was part of their first year trip.  Since 1930 this ship has delivered annual sail training programmes, except for the war in 1940 and during refitting.  

This is the 'engine room'when the sails are up

Have a lovely week!
Sharon
xxx