Description
The Amerigo Vespucci is a tall ship of the Marina Militare, named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Its home port is Livorno, Italy. As of 2008, she is still in use as a school ship. In 1925, the Regia Marina ordered two school ships to be built following a design by Lieutenant Colonel Francesco Rotundi of the Italian Navy Engineering Corps, inspired by the style of large late 18th century 74-cannon ships of the line. The Amerigo Vespucci was built in 1930 at the Royal Naval Shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia (Naples). She was launched on February 22, 1931, and was put into service in July of that year. The vessel is a full rigged three-masted steel hull 82.4 m (270.34 ft) long, with an overall length of 101 m (331 ft) including the bowsprit and a maximum width of 15.5 m (51 ft). She has a draft of about 7 meters (23 ft) and a displacement at full load of 4146 tons. Under auxiliary diesel-electric propulsion power, the Amerigo Vespucci reaches a top speed of 10 knots.