Vespucci, the round-the-world voyage heads for the Arabian Peninsula

Route to Doha. It will be in the Qatari capital that the ship Amerigo Vespucci will land on 17 December for the 28th of the 35 stops on its world tour that started from Genoa in July 2023 and the sixth of the Villaggio Italia, the travelling exhibition of Italian excellence that has so far touched down in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Darwin, Singapore and Mumbai.

The longest-lived ship in service in the Navy, launched in 1931 and 101 metres long, was already christened 'the most beautiful ship in the world' by the Americans in 1962. Today, this majestic three-masted sailing ship, with a crew of 264 soldiers, is an undisputed symbol of Italy, the place where the students of the Naval Academy and the Military Naval School 'Francesco Morosini' (formerly the Naval College), the student helmsmen and the young people of the sailing associations have been training for over ninety years. Aesthetics and functionality, training and naval diplomacy, the Vespucci is a school of the sea and a school of life. An ideal vehicle of Italian soft power, capable of embodying both tradition and innovation: the excellence of our country, with 'sails unfurled'.

"The Nave Vespucci's world tour represents an exemplary, unique and special model of what we call the 'country system'," says Defence Minister Guido Crosetto. "What began as a normal training activity for naval officer cadets, thanks to the commitment of the Defence family, has become, with time and the work of everyone, an extraordinary opportunity to present Italian excellence to the world. We have been doing this, for a year now, with the Italian Village, an exhibition, and above all a unique occasion, dedicated to Made in Italy". "Behind the Great Beauty, the glory, and the traditions of Nave Vespucci," Crosetto continues, "there is the tireless work of men and women in uniform. Young officer trainees who face the sea for the first time and who, in this way, every day learn the art of navigation and civil, as well as military, coexistence. A unique, exceptional experience, essential for training the future servants of the State'.

This is the ship's second round-the-world voyage, after the first one completed between May 2002 and September 2003. The return home is scheduled at the end of February: for the occasion, she will be welcomed in Trieste by a "Barcolana Special edition", the world's largest regatta that has turned into a real festival of the sea. From there, the Vespucci will begin the Tour of the Mediterranean that will end in Genoa on 10 June, Navy Day.

The stage at the Italy Village in Doha, where the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Francesco Lollobrigida is expected to attend, will feature a rich programme of cultural activities and the promotion of raw materials and Italian cuisine, with masterclasses and showcooking organised by the ministry (and a focus on olive oil, organised by Italia Olivicola), in support of the candidature of Italian cuisine as a Unesco intangible heritage. There will also be music - with the Qatar Choir & Friends Concert, the performance 'Il viaggio - The journey' by baritenore Riccardo Cis, and the Arena di Verona concert with three singers and a pianist - and art, with an exhibition area entirely dedicated to a new work by Jago.