What's inside Amerigo Vespucci, the historic Italian military ship arriving in Abu Dhabi?

The 93-year-old vessel is on a diplomatic tour around the world

Historic Italian military vessel Amerigo Vespucci will dock in Abu Dhabi as part of its diplomatic world tour. Photo: Embassy of Italy in UAE / Instagram

The Italian navy's oldest active military vessel is coming to the UAE. The 93-year-old Amerigo Vespucci, named after the 15th century Italian explorer and navigator, will dock at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal at Mina Zayed from December 27 to 31.

Throughout its stay, the historic ship will be open to visitors, who can learn about its rich legacy, as well as visit the nearby Villaggio Italia, an event to celebrate everything Italian. Organised by the Embassy of Italy in UAE, the programme will feature cultural activities, live concerts, exhibitions and a showcase of Italian food.

Amerigo Vespucci's arrival to the UAE is part of its 20-month-long world tour, during which it has visited more than 30 ports across the globe, from Mumbai to Singapore and Tokyo. It's currently docked in Doha, before it heads to Abu Dhabi and then to Jeddah, Muscat and Safaga in Egypt.

Designed and launched in 1931, the three-masted Amerigo Vespucci is 82 metres long and boasts three main decks. At the bow is a gilded bronze figurehead of its namesake, Amerigo Vespucci.

The ship’s crew consists of 264 military personnel, divided into 15 officers, 30 non-commissioned officers, 34 sergeants and 185 petty officers and seamen. They are supplemented by about 100 cadets and support staff from the Naval Academy, bringing the total to around 400 personnel on board.

Primarily used to train cadets in the first year of the Italian Naval Academy, the ship has also been deployed on many environmental missions, and has often partnered with organisations such Unicef and WWF. Due to her naval diplomacy missions around the world, she's often referred to as "a floating Italian Embassy".

During her stay in Abu Dhabi, visitors will be able to explore the ship and interact with crew members. Entry is free, but pre-booking of slots is essential on tourvespucci.it.