#amerigo vespucci

[ltwilliammowett]

Amerigo Vespucci training ship of the Italian Navy, by Alberto Simonetto, 2022

#tall ship #amerigo vespucci #training ship #early 20th century #an age of steam original

[fabforgottennobility]

Sei la più bella!

#amerigo vespucci #made in italy #sailing #marina militare #nave scuola

[copperbadge]

Pictured above: the Amerigo Vespucci, a three-masted tall ship, encounters two US aircraft carriers: the Independence (black and white image, 1962) and the George H.W. Bush (color image, 2022). 

Built in 1930 for the purpose of sail training, the Italian Training Ship Amerigo Vespucci is designed after 18th century 74-cannon "ships of the line”, naval warships common to the Age of Sail. She carries a standard crew of 16 officers, 70 noncoms, and 190 sailors; she has an overall length of 101m/331ft and a maximum width of 15.5m/51ft with a steel hull and a top speed of 10 knots (19km/h). The masts are steel but carry traditional canvas sails and use only hemp rope; mooring lines are synthetic per port regulations. Currently she carries both diesel and electric engines. More details and specifications at Wikipedia. Her sister ship, the Cristoforo Colombo, was given to the USSR as war reparations after WWII. 

There is a commonly-repeated story that when the Amerigo Vespucci encountered the USS Independence in 1962, the Independence signaled the Amerigo Vespucci to ask, “Who are you?” 

The ship replied, “Training ship Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Navy.” 

The Independence then is reported to have responded:

“You are the most beautiful ship in the world.” 

Well, they weren’t lying about that. 

Wikipedia’s only truly useful citation for this encounter is a YouTube video of the USS George H.W. Bush meeting the Amerigo Vespucci in 2022.  

This encounter was also documented in a US Navy press release from September 2022, which has better information for the initial exchange. The 1962 photo leaves no doubt the Independence and the Amerigo Vespucci did encounter one another, but the exchange of communications does not have strong visible documentation. The press release states that the NHHC website has a record of the encounter, but does not link to it. 

The NHHC website, which is a massive pain in the ass to use, has a records page for the black and white photo above, but that appears to be the extent of its documentation. Presumably there’s a logbook for the Independence or the Amerigo Vespucci or both, but that’s beyond my ability to locate. I have not been able to find a record that isn’t embedded in 21st-century documents which don’t have strong citations. There is no record of who on the Independence felt the need to compliment the Amerigo Vespucci, or how the ship responded. The Italian Navy’s history of the Amerigo Vespucci, now available only through Archive.org, does not mention the encounter.

The earliest record I could find of the Amerigo Vespucci referenced as “The most beautiful ship in the world” comes from a post at VisitVenezia, which Google believes was posted in 2004 (there’s no date on the post itself). The earliest reference to the actual meeting of the two ships is a vague reference in a blog from 2012, which merely states that “another ship once radioed, you are the most beautiful ship in the world.” There is no citation for the story’s origin at that post. If the exchange did happen, the story of it appears to have surfaced to civilians only in the 21st century. Most other records 2012-2022 eventually trace back to Tumblr, actually. 

The USS Independence’s Crew Book for 1962 has been digitized; reading through it there is, as they say, a lot to unpack, but despite numerous pages dedicated to the sights of the Mediterranean, there is no mention or photo of the Amerigo Vespucci that I could find. It does list the two commanders of the Independence, Melvin R. Etheridge and Bob J. Robison, as well as the full 1962 crew. And if you like men in uniform, 60s military technology, or poorly printed photos of Europe in 1962, it’s a fun way to spend an hour or so. 

In any case, the Navy says it happened, and it’s a great story. We do have documentation, both in the video above and in the September 2022 press release, of the 2022 encounter. The USS George H.W. Bush, captained by Capt. David-Tavis Pollard, asks via radio, “Sailing vessel on my starboard side, please identify yourself.” 

The ship responds, “This is Italian Navy ship Amerigo Vespucci.” 

The US ship asks, “Are you the one that sailed by the USS Independence in 1962?” 

To which the Italians reply, “Yes we are. We are the senior national vessel in active duty.” 

The US ship responds, “Amerigo Vespucci, you are still after 60 years the most beautiful ship in the world.” 

To which the Amerigo Vespucci answers, “George Bush, we are flattered and express fair winds and following seas for your deployment.” 

I’d love to know who sent the original messages, and where it might have been recorded; if folks have access to documentation or know sailors who served on the Independence or the Amerigo Vespucci in 1962 who might remember it, please feel free to let me know. After all, I’d like the story to be true. 

And she is, then and now, a beautiful ship.

#amerigo vespucci #military history #naval history #tall ships

[recherchestetique]

Amerigo Vespucci - la più bella ambasciatrice d’Italia

#amerigo vespucci #sailing ship #italy

[camushii1]

This too,

is yuri

#yuri #amerigo vespucci #ships #boats #uss indepence #pride #wlw #shitpost #haha weed

[downfalldestiny]

Incredible sunrise

with amerigo vespucci 🌅 !.

#Sunrise #Beautiful view #Ship #Beautiful ship #downfall #downfalldestiny #the sea #sea waves #sea #amerigo vespucci #life #black sails #sailing

[captainsvscaptains]

Battle of the Ships

Round 3 Part 2 Poll 1

Nautilus :

Main character in the book, the naturalist whatshisname, didn’t gush over the sub for chapters and chapters, didn't ad drop for a gear shop in Paris that definitely doesn't exist anymore, and loved the ship so much he didn't mind the fact that he and his friends had been kidnapped and held against their will, for me not to nominate The Nautilus.

(The book is such a trip to read. The protagonist is so unintentionally funny.)

The Nautilus was supposed to be a futuristic version of what technology should be capable of in some decades. Electric long lasting lights, technical design that allows it to dive to unrivaled depths and speed, a research vessel, etc. It was such an influential ship for the sci-fi genre that I believe it's the most well recognized fictional submarine there currently is.

Amerigo Vespucci :

Uhhhhhh “the most beautiful ship” I wish I knew more about it I just saw the poll and went!!! Most beautiful ship needs to be here!

#battle of the ships #tournament polls #round 3 #nautilus #captain nemo #20000 lieues sous les mers #20 000 leagues under the sea #20000 leagues under the sea #amerigo vespucci #the most beautiful ship in the world

[ilblogdellestorie]

L’ AmerigoVespucci la Nave più bella del mondo in partenza dal porto di Genova per un viaggio intorno al mondo lungo 20 mesi

#amerigo vespucci #giro del mondo #navi #storia #ilblogdellestorie

[ilcovodelbikersgrunf]

#amerigo vespucci #marina militare #navy

[sofysta]

Isola di Ortigia Siracusa al passaggio dell'Amerigo Vespucci.

Ph. Salvo Puccio

#Isola di Ortigia #Siracusa #sicilia #Amerigo Vespucci

[ltwilliammowett]

The Amerigo Vespucci is a tall ship of the Italian Navy (Marina Militare) named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci and it is in use as a school ship.

#tall ship #amerigo vespucci #full rigged ship #school ship #early 20th century #age of steam original

[dynamo-of-fake-twin-brother-fame]

So everyone remember when we shipped two actual ships? Me too. Well, I was looking up the post for sentimentality purposes and found out that on September 1, 2022, they recreated the meeting 60 years later with the USS George H.W. Bush, another Aircraft Carrier manned by the Avenger Team. The Carrier signaled, asking for identification, the Training Ship -- who is currently the oldest operating ship in the Italian Navy -- gave the reply, and the USS George H.W. Bush responded <<You are still the most beautiful ship in the world!>> So now, the Amerigo Vespucci has a harem of US Aircraft Carriers. Y'all are welcome. Also, the Amerigo Vespucci replied to the compliment with <<We are flattered and with you and the Avenger team fair winds and following seas for your deployment. May your ceiling and visibility remain unlimited.>>

#recreating history #amerigo vespucci #you are the most beautiful ship in the world

[emperornorton47]

The most beautiful ship in the world

#u.s. navy #USS Independence #aircraft carrier #Training ship #Tall ship #italian navy #Sailing ship #Most beautiful ship in the world #amerigo vespucci

[t-skizzenbuch]

Italian training ship Amerigo Vespucci

#amerigo vespucci #sailing ship #naval art #tall ship #naval artifacts #naval history #age of sail

[avalonishere]

L’Amerigo Vespucci con l’abito per la festa di Natale

#amerigo vespucci #natale2023

[incorrectclassicbookquotes]

Today my coworker and I were asking why Columbus Day was created and I looked it up and this is why "Columbus Day was created by President Harrison in 1892 in response to the anti-Italian motivated lynching of 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans in 1891." So apparently it had nothing to do with Columbus himself but the fact that he was Italian and they were like look an Italian was responsible for "the discovery of America" so stop lynching Italian people. The follow up question we had was then why not make the day Amerigo Vespucci day since he was also Italian and the reason why America is called America and the reason we know America is a separate country and not India. So yeah that's what I learned today on why Columbus Day became a thing.

Edit: Why couldn't the government create a holiday to stop people from lynching African Americans?

#not an incorrect quote #columbus day #christopher columbus #amerigo vespucci