Among the naval excellence of the Campania, we cannot fail to mention the unmistakable and iconic sailing ship Amerigo Vespucci, built at the construction site of Castellamare di Stabia And launched in 1931.

It was born ninety years ago as school ship for the preparation of the trainee officers of theNaval Academy, and is today considered the most beautiful ship in the world. The Vespucci has embarked on many adventures, starting from the year of her birth, continuing during the postwar until more recent times.

As the name reminds us, the sailing ship was made in honor of the eponymous explorer , in fact at the bow has been installed a gilded bronze figurehead reproducing his physiognomy. The first trip dates back to July 2, 1931 to Genoa, where he also received the combat flag In the hands of its first commander, Augusto Radicati of Marmorito.

Among the historical enterprises remember the training activity during the World War II. Al termine del conflitto restò in servizio solo la Vespucci in quanto la twin Christopher Columbus was given to theUSSR as war damage compensation; Or again, there was the time when theAdmiral Agostino Straulino managed to climb all the London's Thames River to sails unfurled 1956.

On the occasion of the Rome Olympics 1960, the sailing ship transported by sea the Olympic flame from Piraeus to Syracuse. A nice anecdote dates back to a meeting in July 1962 in the Mediterranean with the US aircraft carrier USS Independence: the latter would flash with the beacon our sailing ship asking, "Who are you?" only to receive as a reply, "Training ship Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Navy." The U.S. ship would then report, "You are the most beautiful ship in the world".

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Not surprisingly, every time the sailing ship docks in a port, it is allowed access to all the external visitors to be able to admire its majesty. An Italian and Neapolitan pride, in 2007 the Amerigo Vespucci became "UNICEF Italy Goodwill Ambassador", so that it may be a promoter of a message of peace, respect and brotherhood, taking it with him all over the world.

Every now and then the school ship returns to greet the Gulf of Naples: admiring it, up close or from a distance, is always a unique and unforgettable experience.

The Monarch Sailing Ship

Not everyone knows that the sailing ship was built tracing the model of the Monarch, the flagship of the Royal Navy of the Two Sicilies. It is one of the most prestigious sailing ships ever built and the largest warship of all the pre-unification states of Italy and was launched also in Castellammare di Stabia in 1850.

It was designed with a view to later integration with a steam engine plant with tubular boilers and propeller thrust, which materialized in 1860. It took place just before the Piedmontese invasion of the Kingdom, which "delivered" the jewel into the hands of the navy sabauda; the Monarch became King Gentleman, in honor of the not-so-honest Victor Emmanuel II, and Bourbon troops had to face him during the siege of Gaeta that ended the Two Sicilies

Not everyone is lucky enough to ply the seas aboard the sailing ship Vespucci, but there is another sailing ship in Naples that may suit you: would you like to dine surrounded by the beauty of the coast or hold your own private event in the middle of the sea? Discover the Tortuga Sailing Ship.