Tall ship to set off on a new Mediterranean tour.

Italy's Amerigo Vespucci tall ship returned to the northern port of Trieste on Saturday after a two-year world tour to promote Italian food, wine, culture and design.

During the 20-month 'Made in Italy' voyage, the fully rigged Italian navy vessel docked in 35 ports, taking in 30 countries and five continents, welcoming around half a million people on board.

The historic ship was welcomed in Trieste with a flypast by the Frecce Tricolori jets and a regatta of more than 1,300 boats, as large crowds watched crew members embrace their loved ones to the backdrop of music by the band of the armed forces.

"Con entusiasmo 30 Paesi in 5 continenti hanno accolto #NaveVespucci. Circa mezzo milione di persone sono salite a bordo, scoprendo la storia, la cultura e le tradizioni del nostro Paese. In ognuno dei 35 porti toccati abbiamo dimostrato che l’Italia è accoglienza, rispetto,… pic.twitter.com/dWPYKm55CZ— Ministero Difesa (@MinisteroDifesa) March 1, 2025

Trieste marks the first stop in the ship's new “Mediterranean Tour” which will incorporate 17 cities - 15 of them in Italy - and will conclude in Genoa on 10 June, Navy Day.

The ship can be visited in Trieste until 3 March after which it sets sail once more, stopping in the following cities:

Venice (27-31 March), Ancona (1-3 April), Ortona (4-6 April), Durrës - Albania (8-11 April), Brindisi (12-15 April), Taranto (16-22 April), Valletta - Malta (25-29 April), Porto Empedocle (30 April), Reggio Calabria (3-6 May), Palermo (7-11 May), Naples (13-17 May), Cagliari (19-24 May), Gaeta (26-29 May), Civitavecchia (30 May-3 June), Livorno (4-8 June), Genova (10 June).

Dubbed "the most beautiful ship in the world", the Amerigo Vespucci navy training vessel was built in Castellamare di Stabia, Naples, in 1930.

For full details of the Mediterranean tour and how to visit the ship, see the Amerigo Vespucci website. Photo Ministero della Difesa