Amerigo Vespucci Tall Ship Draws Crowds on Tour of Italian Ports

The Amerigo Vespucci, a full-rigged sailing ship used by the Italian Navy to train naval cadets, is touring Italian ports this October as it returns from a months-long campaign across the Atlantic, according to the ship's official tour website, tourvespucci.it. The stops have drawn heavy public interest, including mandatory reservation systems set up by host cities.

A Nearly Century-Old Ship on Its Way Home

Built at the Royal Shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia, the Amerigo Vespucci was launched on 22 February 1931 and entered service as a training vessel on 6 June 1931, according to tourvespucci.it. At 101 metres long with a 28-metre beam and a 56-metre mainmast, it is described by the Navy's tour site as the oldest ship still in active service with the Italian Navy, having completed 87 training cruises since its launch.

The current voyage, called the North America Campaign 2026, departed Genoa on 9 May 2026 and covered more than 15,000 nautical miles over a 156-day itinerary, per tourvespucci.it. The ship called at eight foreign ports, mainly in the United States and Canada — including Baltimore, New York, Boston, Quebec City and Montreal — before sailing back across the Atlantic and returning to Trieste on 8 October 2026.

From Trieste's Barcolana to Ravenna's Maritime Capital

In Trieste, the Vespucci was moored at Molo Bersaglieri until 12 October 2026, serving as the centrepiece of the 58th edition of the Barcolana, which local outlet Nordest24 describes as the world's most-participated sailing regatta, with roughly 500,000 visitors and about 2,000 boats expected. An accompanying free exhibition area, the Villaggio IN Italia, stayed open with extended hours, including until 11:30 PM on 9 and 10 October, per Nordest24.

The ship's next Italian stop is Ravenna, where it will dock at Marina di Ravenna from 14 to 18 October 2026, according to the city's official tourism site, turismo.ra.it. The visit coincides with Ravenna's designation as Italy's 2026 Maritime Capital. Boarding is free but requires mandatory advance booking through the Visit Ravenna platform, with reservations opening on 11 October at 6:00 PM and a limit of four tickets per person.

Accessibility Initiative Brought 1,000 Visitors with Disabilities Aboard in Trieste

As part of the Trieste stop, roughly 1,000 people with disabilities boarded the Vespucci through an inclusion programme run by Italy's Ministry for Disabilities, according to ANSA. Twenty-four disability associations set up exhibits alongside the event.

Italy's Minister for Disabilities, Alessandra Locatelli, said the Trieste event continued the path begun during the ship's previous world tour, when the same accessibility programme spanned 15 stops, involved more than 120 associations and brought more than 6,000 people with disabilities aboard, according to ANSA.

Why the Ship Draws Such Large Crowds

The current Italian leg follows an earlier, longer voyage: the Vespucci's World Tour 2023-2025 lasted 24 months, covered 49,500 nautical miles, and called at 53 ports in 33 countries across five continents, according to tourvespucci.it. Over that tour the ship itself welcomed 936,089 visitors aboard, while the accompanying Villaggio Italia exhibitions drew tens of thousands more at each of 17 stops, the site states.

Ravenna's own event page describes the ship as offering the public a unique chance to see "the most beautiful ship in the world" up close and board it, according to turismo.ra.it.

How to Visit the Ship

In Ravenna, opening hours for boarding run from 14 to 17 October, with specific afternoon windows published by turismo.ra.it: 2:00–6:00 PM on 14 October, 2:00–5:00 PM on 15 October, 2:00–6:30 PM on 16 October, and 2:00–5:30 PM on 17 October. Admission is free, but boarding is restricted to those holding a reservation made through Visit Ravenna; the city is also offering free shuttle buses and parking, extra lighthouse tours and guided museum visits during the stop.