It’s been a while since the Urban Roamer has done a feature like this but an opportunity this rare is something you cannot pass up. Especially if it’s to experience something as unique as stepping aboard what is considered by some as “the most beautiful ship in the world.”
It was the occasion of the visit of the Italian training ship Amerigo Vespucci which docked at Pier 15 at the Manila South Harbor last September 14-18. The visit was part of the world tour of the Amerigo Vespucci which aimed to share, exchange, and promote Italy’s cultural, artistic, historical and economic heritage through the maritime craft. The tour kicked off in Genoa, Italy on July 1, 2023 and will conclude in February 2025.
What makes this Italian training ship stand out that it is being promoted as Italy’s maritime pride entails an appreciation of it on different levels. One is its looks, purposely built to resemble the massive sailing vessels steered by the navigators, explorers, and conquistadors of the old. While Italy itself has never been known as a great maritime power compared to the likes of Spain, Portugal, and England, nevertheless, it has made invaluable maritime contributions in the form of two explorers who have helped shape our understanding of the world we know today: Christoforo Colombo of Genoa, AKA Christopher Columbus, who was the pioneer in the European exploration and conquest of what is now the American continent (who Colombo mistakenly identified as a part of India) and the ship’s namesake Amerigo Vespucci who was the first to determine that Colombo’s discovery was not part of India but a “New World” which would be eventually named after him.
Second is its age. While the Amerigo Vespucci’s age is not as old as the time of its namesake, it is still an old ship that was built back in 1930, making it almost a century old at this time of writing. Given that it was constructed during the time of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, it is fortunate it was not among the casualties of World War II nor was it subjected to destruction after the war for the perception of it being a Mussolini vanity project or something.
If anything, it seems postwar Italy recognized the value of the ship as a way to boost its morale after having gone through suffering and hardship during the Mussolini years and World War II. As such, Italy has taken pains to ensure that the Amerigo Vespucci would remain afloat throughout these years. In fact, it has undergone a number of renovation and restoration works to ensure that it remains seaworthy. Thus, the Amerigo Vespucci continues to serve as the training of the Italian Navy, as well as its maritime ambassador that has managed to capture the world’s attention.
As someone who has held an interest in the Age of Exploration, coming onboard the Amerigo Vespucci is a treat in itself as one gets an idea of what the ships of that time might have been like and they have done quite a good job in being able to showcase that. And as someone who has long been an advocate of heritage preservation, it is admirable to see not only an almost century-old ship this well preserved but also striving to be faithful to the managing to incorporate the modern technologies that make the ships of today safer and more reliable.
Grazie, Amerigo Vespucci for visiting Manila! Buon viaggio!
Acknowledgements as well to the Amerigo Vespucci and Wikipedia
