Want to know more about art and culture of Italy? This Italian Navy training ship currently docked in Mumbai may be the answer

The Amerigo Vespucci is a three-masted sailing ship with a 54m high main mast (centre). Pics/Ashish Raje

Walking past the Green Gate of Indira Docks on Ballard Pier, this writer was amused by the contrasting sight. With its steadfast mast, an intricate rigging, and ornately carved broadside, the latest Italian arrival in Mumbai looks like it popped out of a Robert Louis Stevenson novel. Its contoured broadside strikes a contrast against the sharp edges of more modern ships on the dock. Yet, the Nave Amerigo Vespucci has already braved the currents of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans on its way to Mumbai.

Sketches of the ship by artist Subhash Bathé

Housed alongside the Villaggio Italia - an enclave celebrating Italian culture, art, music and design - the ship's visit is part of a five-day initiative led by the Italian government to showcase the country's culture, and further relations with India.

The gilded figurehead of Amerigo Vespucci at the bow of the ship

We are welcomed by a stage that will host musical performances and screenings. We notice singers already busy in rehearsal. The stage faces an expo pavilion that will house works of art and pieces that highlight Italian design. This writer was taken by the sight of an aqua blue Vespa showcased inside right near its entrance.
With the sun climbing, the crowds began to file in and we decided to follow them. We climb into the ship through a wooden drawbridge. "This is perhaps the quieter area of the ship," laughs Alessandro Cazzato, Lieutenant junior grade, as he welcomes us onboard. Cazzato has been on the ship since it left Genoa on July 1, 2023 on its world tour. As he guides us through the deck, it is hard to not marvel at the intricate but sturdy woodwork that define its hull.

Although equipped with modern navigation systems, the ship still retains its classical design

The Nave Amerigo Vespucci, as it is officially known, was built in 1931 in the Castellammare di Stabia in Naples, Italy. Termed ‘one of the most beautiful ships in the world' by the American Navy, it is a full square-rigged vessel that carries 28 sails and 36 kms of natural fibre ropes that bind the rigging and keep the sails in place, the lieutenant informs us. As we stand beneath the mast, it dwarfs us, leading us to wonder what it takes to handle the rigging in the midst of a treacherous sea. No surprise then that the vessel is used as a training ship for navy cadets and young sailors.

A view of the guns placed on the deck, with bugles and a cap

The journey of the Vespucci began from the port of Genoa, continuing down to Las Palmas in Spain, and Dakar on the coast of Africa, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to circumnavigate South America. "Our proudest moment was to pass Cape Horn, the tip of the South American continent. It is very treacherous for ships, especially a sail ship like ours. We crossed it with sails unfurled," beamed Cazzato. Having passed Australia and Phuket, the vessel will dock in Mumbai till December 2 before heading home through the Middle East.

Lt Cazzato describes the journey of the vessel

For a 93-year-old, the Vespucci looks in good shape. Like us, the crowd is mesmerised by the collection of the past that continues to mark the elegant vessel. With three sections - upper, middle and tween - the ship is manned by crew members dressed in all whites guiding the crowds. If you walk past caps placed surreptitiously on hangers above working stations, do not be surprised. A crew member tells us that it is a way to keep them handy for when the captain walks the deck. It is a timely reminder that despite the nature of the visit, the ship is still a part of the Italian Navy.

A view of the rigging from the deck of the ship

The ship has already caught the attention of crowds beyond. As we step out, we notice artists Subhash Bathé and retired captain Prafulla Udaykar seated by the pavilion. The Pune-based duo has travelled all the way to the city to sketch the ship. "It is hard to get a full view of the ship," Bathé remarks. We agree. Perhaps, next time we will be so lucky as to take it out to sea.

Till December 2; 10 am onwards
At Green Gate, Indira Docks, Ballard Pier.
Log on to tourvespucci.it (registration mandatory)
Free