Model sailing ship "Amerigo Vespucci"

The Amerigo Vespucci is a tall ship of the Marina Militare, named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci. Its 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.

The second ship of the design was the Amerigo Vespucci. The ship was built in 1930 at the (formerly Royal) Naval Shipyard of Castellammare di Stabia (Naples). She was launched on February 22, 1931, and was put into service in July of that year. The model of the ship was constructed by Italian master GIANCARLO GAMBATO

The tall ship model has been realized while respecting the original's characteristics and shape, after wide historic and photographic documentation, done in the Port of Livorno in 1998, obtained thanks to the availability of the Italian Navy and the Admiral, who kindly put at disposal all the ship's drawings. The hull is built in slat wood and dressed in copper, with hand made false nailed sheet, a perfect imitation of ships construction methods in the early '900. The ship's bridge was made in mahogany wood, the superstructures are copper handmade and subsequently painted including chains and anchors. It took over 7000 hours to manufacture a perfect copy of the original sailing school ship including all details, making it an example of modellers shipbuilding.

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