For the first time in its history, the 1930s Italian navy ship, Nave Amerigo Vespucci, will call into Darwin on the third of October.
The arrival of the vessel, called by many ‘the world’s most beautiful ship’, will be supported with Italian Festival, ‘Villagio Italia’, bringing a slice of Italy to the tropics of Darwin, where guests can also step aboard the tall ship for a free tour from the 4th – 7th October.
An Italian celebration
The opening ceremony of Villaggio Italia in Darwin will be attended by Italian dignitaries, including the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy, Valentino Valentini and the Italian Ambassador to Australia, Paolo Crudele.
The festivities will include Italian cinema in collaboration with the Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale, and the exhibition of the artwork La David by Italian artist, Jago.
Music by the Fanfare of the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment of the Bersaglieri Brigade will include Maestro Umberto Clerici, conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, who will perform solo on the ship at dawn.
Wheels on Waves
Nave Amerigo Vespucci will also be joined by Lo Spirito di Stella, a catamaran which is part of the Wheels on Waves project.
The brainchild of Andrea Stella, founder and president of the Lo Spirito di Stella Association, the project was created to support military personnel and civilians who have sustained permanent injuries in the performance of duty.
Difesa Servizi CEO, Luca Andreoli says of the project, “like the great initiatives with a social purpose in history, we hope [this] will reverse course and design a new path for such an important issue as disability and inclusion.”
Italian Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto says, “Nave Amerigo Vespucci’s stop in Darwin represents not only a unique opportunity to promote Italian excellence but also a symbolic moment to share a message of solidarity and inclusion.
“The crews of the Vespucci and the Spirito di Stella are driven by the same passion and sail the same seas with determination, proudly carrying the tricolour and our values around the world.”
The visit is the 24th stop of a world tour that started in Genoa in July 2023.
After Darwin, Villaggio Italia will be in Singapore, followed by Mumbai, India; Doha, Qatar; Abu Dhabi, UAE and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
For more information, visit Villaggio Italia.
