Amerigo Vespucci

A Sailing Ship in Venice

ABOVE: A stern view of the Americo Vespucci leaving the Venice waterfront on a cool, foggy autumn morning.

If you're lucky enough to see a "tall ship" in St. Mark's Basin, there's a good chance that it's the Americo Vespucci. The three-masted sailing vessel entered service in 1931 as a training ship of the Italian Naval Academy. The ship is based in Livorno, Italy, and shows up in Venice from time to time as it cruises the Mediterranean or travels to sailing-ship regattas and other events around the world. It normally moors along the waterfront near the Giardini Pubblici and the Biennale grounds, and public tours are often available.

The Amerigo Vespucci is a good-sized vessel, measuring 101 meters (331) feet in length and 15.5 meters (51 feet) across the beam. With 26 canvas sails and traditional hemp-rope rigging, the ship requires a crew of 286. (With cadets on board, the ship's population climbs to about 450.)

For more information about the ship, read the Amerigo Vespucci pages at Wikipedia, Schoonerman, and Netcowork. And for more photos, see page 2 of this article.

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