During the morning of this Friday, April 26, the Training Ship of the Italian Military Navy “Amerigo Vespucci”, under the command of Captain Giuseppe Lai, arrived at the Molo de Abrigo in Valparaíso.
The unit was received by the Consul of Italy in Valparaíso, Franco Dezerega, who was accompanied by the Chief of Staff of the First Naval Zone, Captain Luis Felipe Díaz and by members of the Sixth Fire Company “Cristoforo Colombo”.
The unit is making a round-the-world trip and this is the first time that a unit of the Italian Navy comes to our country. It has a staff of 264 personnel, including 15 officers, 30 non-commissioned officers, 34 sergeants and 185 corporals and sailors. It measures 101 meters in length and has 26 sails on its three masts. In addition to its role as an ambassador for UNESCO and UNICEF, the ship also has a mission in the preservation of the oceans, promoting their defense in collaboration with the UN.
After their arrival, Commander Lai stressed that after their passage through Valparaiso they will continue to the port of Callao and then, continue north in Galapagos, Panama, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and in Los Angeles, they will embark the Cadets to carry out their training.
They will remain until Thursday, May 2 at the Molo de Abrigo; so during their stay they will receive visits from the general public; while the members of the crew will be able to visit the “Arturo Prat” Naval School and the National Maritime Museum
Regarding the visit, Commander Díaz indicated that, “As the Chilean Navy, we are very happy to be able to receive the Amerigo Vespucci in the context of its world tour from 2022 to 2025; since this is the second Chilean port, they initially entered the country through Punta Arenas, after having sailed through the Strait of Magellan.”