L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS sadors of Made in Italy," he said. This sentiment was echoed by Ambassador Zap- pia: "I feel pride and satisfac- tion for the opportunity to v i s i t a n d i n t r o d u c e t h e Amerigo Vespucci, a symbol of the Italian Navy, to people around the world, as well as to us Italians abroad, to col- leagues, representatives, and business people." During the almost-week- long stay of the most beauti- f u l a n d o l d e s t s h i p o f t h e Italian Navy at the port of San Pedro, in Southern Cali- fornia, we at L'Italo-Amer- icano had the privilege of an exclusive tour of the ship led by its current commander, Giuseppe Lai, the 125th in the ship's history. Comman- der Lai, who joined the mis- sion in Santo Domingo, said, "By retracing the exploration of the Florentine navigator, we represent Italian excel- lence, such as art, gastrono- m y , h i s t o r y , a n d c u l t u r e , spreading the values and tra- ditions of our country, fos- tering international coopera- tion, solidarity, scientific research, and environmental protection." Originally from Sardinia, Commander Lai was the first officer of the Amerigo Vespucci to navi- gate Cape Horn, the world's m o s t c h a l l e n g i n g w a t e r s , located between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, heading toward the Antarctic Ocean. The ship is named after the famous Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci, born into a wealthy family in Florence i n 1 4 5 4 . V e s p u c c i m e t Christopher Columbus in Spain and was captivated by the idea of exploration. The vessel was commissioned in May 1930, launched in Feb- ruary 1931, and entered ser- vice in July of the same year a s a t r a i n i n g s h i p f o r t h e Naval Academy of Livorno, w i t h t h e a i m o f t r a i n i n g future officers of the Royal Navy. "Today, it is consid- ered a floating jewel, a sym- bol to ninety years of Italian history. The Vespucci is also k n o w n a s I t a l y ' s ' f l o a t i n g embassy,' as it combines the traditional training of Officer Cadets with unique naviga- tion experiences, opportuni- ties for cooperation, the pro- motion of Italy's image and the excellence of Made in Italy, all while showing the country's historical tradi- tions and culture." T h e c r e w c o n s i s t s o f about 260 sailors, along with f o u r p h o t o g r a p h e r s a n d filmmakers, two researchers from the Italian National Institute of Health working on the Sea Care project, and a military prosecutor. The Sea Care program collects samples along the routes of both the Amerigo Vespucci a n d o t h e r n a v a l u n i t s t o gather data on the health of the seas. The motto of the Amerigo Vespucci, "Not who begins but who perseveres," was officially adopted in 1978 and represents a long-stand- ing tradition in the Italian n a v a l l a n d s c a p e . T h i s phrase, attributed to Leonar- d o d a V i n c i , p e r f e c t l y embodies the spirit of the training ship, which remains a symbol of beauty and pres- tige despite the challenges of time. The motto emphasizes the importance of persever- ance in the rigorous training of future Navy officers, and stresses the importance not just the start of a journey but its completion. The Amerigo Vespucci is characterised by her white and black hull and portholes reminiscent of the gun bat- teries of 19th-century ships. It features a bow figurehead d e p i c t i n g t h e e p o n y m o u s explorer. The interiors are entirely composed of 1930s wood furnishings, such as the walnut and mahogany Council Room, used as a for- mal reception room. A long corridor displays the crests exchanged with the authori- ties of the ports that have h o s t e d a n d d o c k e d t h e V e s p u c c i d u r i n g i t s l o n g journeys. A u n i q u e a s p e c t o f t h e Amerigo Vespucci is that, even today, all orders from the Commander are given by the Boatswain using a brass w h i s t l e k n o w n a s t h e "Boatswain's whistle." This whistle uses a coded language where each whistle, note, or pause corresponds to a specific command, con- tinuing a traditional practice. The boatswains, responsible for manoeuvres on the deck, h a v e b e e n a p a r t o f t h e Vespucci since its launch, in 1931. Eighteen boatswains have served on the Vespucci, a n d t h e i r n a m e s a r e engraved on a plaque aboard the ship. A f t e r L o s A n g e l e s , t h e Vespucci and Villaggio Italia w i l l v i s i t T o k y o , J a p a n ( A u g u s t 2 5 - 3 0 ) , D a r w i n , Australia (October 4-7), Sin- g a p o r e ( O c t o b e r 2 4 - 2 8 ) , Mumbai, India (November 28-December 2), Abu Dhabi, U A E ( D e c e m b e r 1 7 - 1 9 ) , Doha, Qatar (December 22- 25), and Jeddah, Saudi Ara- bia (January 20-24, 2025). The return to Italy is sched- uled for February 11, 2025. Today, the Vespucci is considered a floating jewel, but is also known as Italy's 'floa- ting embassy,' combining the traditional training of Officer Cadets with unique navi- gation experiences, and the promotion of Italy's image CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Above, the incredible beauty of the Vespucci (Photo: Tour Vespucci/Massimo Sestini) and, below, an image of its equipment (Photo: Silvia Nittoli)

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