Amerigo Vespucci

Like a Painting
Originally uploaded by FotoRita [Allstar maniac]

Like a Painting. This is an old shot, Amerigo Vespucci in Sperlonga [Latina, i]

The Amerigo Vespucci is a tall ship of the Marina Militare, named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Her home port is Livorno, Italy. As of 2008, she is still in use as a school ship.

In 1925, the Regia Marina ordered two school ships to be built following a design by Lieutenant Colonel Francesco Rotundi of the Italian Navy Engineering Corps, inspired by the style of large late 18th century 74-cannon ships of the line. The first of these two ships, the Cristoforo Colombo, was put into service in 1928 and was used by the Italian Navy until 1943. After World War II, this ship was handed over to the USSR as part of the war reparations and was shortly afterwards decommissioned.