Italy’s historic training ship Amerigo Vespucci is preparing to begin a new transatlantic mission that will bring the vessel to the United States and Canada during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of American independence. The Italian Navy tall ship is scheduled to depart from Genoa on May 9 after completing nearly 10 months of maintenance work at the La Spezia naval base.
The North America campaign follows the ship’s highly successful 2023–2025 world tour, which lasted 20 months and included 35 ports across 30 countries on five continents. During that journey, hundreds of thousands of visitors boarded the vessel, widely known as “the most beautiful ship in the world,” while millions followed the tour online through exhibitions and cultural events connected to the Villaggio Italia project.
According to the official itinerary, the Vespucci will first stop in the Canary Islands before crossing the Atlantic using traditional trade wind routes. The ship is expected to arrive in Baltimore in late June and then participate in Fourth of July celebrations in New York City. Additional North American stops include Boston, Québec City, and Montréal before the vessel returns to Europe through the Azores and Cádiz. The full campaign will last 156 days, cover more than 12,000 nautical miles, and include 13 stops, eight of them in foreign ports.
Italian defense officials say the mission combines naval training with cultural diplomacy and the promotion of Made in Italy industries abroad. Events connected to the voyage will showcase Italian design, food, technology, tourism, and innovation through exhibitions, business meetings, and public initiatives organized alongside the ship’s visits. Before departure, the Amerigo Vespucci will remain open to visitors in Genoa from May 5 through May 8 at Porto Antico, where a reduced version of the Villaggio Italia exhibition village has also been installed.
