Last week, the Italian Tall Ship Amerigo Vespuccivisited the Port of Los Angeles. This port visit is part of a 2023-2025 world cruise which doubles as an opportunity to showcase Italian culture, goods, and services in cities around the world. At the same time, scores of cadets from the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno and the Francesco Morosini Military School will receive training and practical ship handling experience on this once-in-a-lifetime voyage. Amerigo Vespucci’s visit highlights the seafaring prowess of our Italian friends and serves as a reminder of the value of our alliance as U.S., Italian, and other NATO member officials meet in Washington this week for the alliance’s annual summit.
The picture above does not do justice to such a magnificent ship. While sailing the Mediterranean Sea in 1962, the American aircraft carrier USS Independenceflashed the Amerigo Vespucci with a signal light asking: “Who are you?” The full-rigged ship answered: “Training ship Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Navy.” The Independence replied: “You are the most beautiful ship in the world.” … And that is a fact!!
First and foremost, the Italians are mariners and this tall ship is named after a famous Italian explorer, navigator, cartographer and merchant. Amerigo Vespucci was born in 1454 and made several voyages to explore South America in the service of the Spanish King. The ship which bears his name was launched on February 22, 1931 at the Castellammare di Stabia royal naval shipyard near Naples. Homeported in La Spezia, Amerigo Vespuccileft the Mediterranean earlier this year on her around the world voyage. Instead of taking the easy route through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean, Amerigo Vespucci sailed around Cape Horn!
If you think that’s easy, I recommend you read David Grann’s bestselling book, The Wager, which tells a gripping tale of shipwreck and survival in these waters almost 300 years ago. Even today, Cape Horn remains one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world and few ships risk the transit when the safe, reliable Panama Canal already cuts days or weeks and thousands of miles off of a journey.
I spoke to the Amerigo Vespucci’s commanding officer, an Italian Navy Captain, about the transit. The Italians planned the voyage carefully, waiting in port until predicted winds were at or below 50 knots in the Cape. The ship successfully navigated these tortuous waters, but 50 knot winds created 5–6-foot seas. The transit was rough. Accordingly, when I met them in Los Angeles every sailor on that ship beamed with pride in their seamanship. By ancient naval custom, any person that makes the transit rates one gold earring; to commemorate the feat, the skipper had set of custom gold hoops engraved with the year and the ship’s name for any crewmember who wanted one.
Amerigo Vespucci is not the only active-duty Italian Navy ship operating in the Pacific right now. Earlier this year, as the USS Eisenhower prepared to depart the Mediterranean after an extended 9-month deployment in the Arabian Gulf, four NATO Strike Groups put to sea to conduct Peacetime Vigilance Activities, including: the French Aircraft Carrier FS Charles De Gaulle; the Spanish Carrier SPS Juan Carlos; the Turkish Amphibious Assault ship TCG Anadolou; and finally the Italian Aircraft Carrier ITS Cavour with her F-35’s embarked. This was a spectacular show of resolve on the part of our NATO Allies!
Shortly after these exercises, Cavour and her two escorts set a course for the Pacific. She is currently on patrol near Australia now to push back against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and Western Pacific and to show Italian solidarity with friends and allies living in the shadow of Beijing. Bravissimo amici miei!
During my time in Europe while on active duty, Italy was and remains an exemplary host nation. Notwithstanding the U.S. Air Force presence in Aviano, the U.S. Navy enjoys bases in Gaeta, Naples, and Sigonella, the home of our Marine Patrol Aircraft—the P8. There is no substitute for this kind of base access and the relationship between Italians and American service members is strong! My two headquarters in Capodichino (U.S.) and Lago Patria (NATO) were state-of-the-art spectacular complexes and a great place to execute maritime missions across the European Theater.
As we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of NATO in Washington, D.C. this week, I salute our Italian counterparts for their contribution to collective defense that stretches from the homeport of Amerigo Vespucci in La Spezia all the way out to the Pacific Rim.
Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (ret.), Dean
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.
Center for Maritime Strategy
By Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
Last week, the Italian Tall Ship Amerigo Vespucci visited the Port of Los Angeles. This port visit is part of a 2023-2025 world cruise which doubles as an opportunity to showcase Italian culture, goods, and services in cities around the world. At the same time, scores of cadets from the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno and the Francesco Morosini Military School will receive training and practical ship handling experience on this once-in-a-lifetime voyage. Amerigo Vespucci’s visit highlights the seafaring prowess of our Italian friends and serves as a reminder of the value of our alliance as U.S., Italian, and other NATO member officials meet in Washington this week for the alliance’s annual summit.
The picture above does not do justice to such a magnificent ship. While sailing the Mediterranean Sea in 1962, the American aircraft carrier USS Independence flashed the Amerigo Vespucci with a signal light asking: “Who are you?” The full-rigged ship answered: “Training ship Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Navy.” The Independence replied: “You are the most beautiful ship in the world.” … And that is a fact!!
First and foremost, the Italians are mariners and this tall ship is named after a famous Italian explorer, navigator, cartographer and merchant. Amerigo Vespucci was born in 1454 and made several voyages to explore South America in the service of the Spanish King. The ship which bears his name was launched on February 22, 1931 at the Castellammare di Stabia royal naval shipyard near Naples. Homeported in La Spezia, Amerigo Vespucci left the Mediterranean earlier this year on her around the world voyage. Instead of taking the easy route through the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean, Amerigo Vespucci sailed around Cape Horn!
If you think that’s easy, I recommend you read David Grann’s bestselling book, The Wager, which tells a gripping tale of shipwreck and survival in these waters almost 300 years ago. Even today, Cape Horn remains one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world and few ships risk the transit when the safe, reliable Panama Canal already cuts days or weeks and thousands of miles off of a journey.
I spoke to the Amerigo Vespucci’s commanding officer, an Italian Navy Captain, about the transit. The Italians planned the voyage carefully, waiting in port until predicted winds were at or below 50 knots in the Cape. The ship successfully navigated these tortuous waters, but 50 knot winds created 5–6-foot seas. The transit was rough. Accordingly, when I met them in Los Angeles every sailor on that ship beamed with pride in their seamanship. By ancient naval custom, any person that makes the transit rates one gold earring; to commemorate the feat, the skipper had set of custom gold hoops engraved with the year and the ship’s name for any crewmember who wanted one.
Amerigo Vespucci is not the only active-duty Italian Navy ship operating in the Pacific right now. Earlier this year, as the USS Eisenhower prepared to depart the Mediterranean after an extended 9-month deployment in the Arabian Gulf, four NATO Strike Groups put to sea to conduct Peacetime Vigilance Activities, including: the French Aircraft Carrier FS Charles De Gaulle; the Spanish Carrier SPS Juan Carlos; the Turkish Amphibious Assault ship TCG Anadolou; and finally the Italian Aircraft Carrier ITS Cavour with her F-35’s embarked. This was a spectacular show of resolve on the part of our NATO Allies!
Shortly after these exercises, Cavour and her two escorts set a course for the Pacific. She is currently on patrol near Australia now to push back against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and Western Pacific and to show Italian solidarity with friends and allies living in the shadow of Beijing. Bravissimo amici miei!
During my time in Europe while on active duty, Italy was and remains an exemplary host nation. Notwithstanding the U.S. Air Force presence in Aviano, the U.S. Navy enjoys bases in Gaeta, Naples, and Sigonella, the home of our Marine Patrol Aircraft—the P8. There is no substitute for this kind of base access and the relationship between Italians and American service members is strong! My two headquarters in Capodichino (U.S.) and Lago Patria (NATO) were state-of-the-art spectacular complexes and a great place to execute maritime missions across the European Theater.
As we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of NATO in Washington, D.C. this week, I salute our Italian counterparts for their contribution to collective defense that stretches from the homeport of Amerigo Vespucci in La Spezia all the way out to the Pacific Rim.
Admiral James G. Foggo, U.S. Navy (ret.), Dean
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.