Italy · World Tour of the training ship Amerigo Vespucci 2023-2025

The *Amerigo Vespucci* is the sailing training ship of the Italian Navy. She was launched in 1931 in Castellammare di Stabia near Naples and serves primarily to train officer cadets of the Naval Academy in Livorno. On board, the cadets learn traditional seamanship, navigation and how to handle a large sailing ship. At the same time, the training programme imparts skills such as cooperation, discipline and responsibility. Although the ship is equipped with modern technology, its exterior design is based on that of large warships from the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

She is named after the Florentine navigator and merchant Amerigo Vespucci. Around 1500, he took part in voyages across the Atlantic and described the coasts of South America explored during them. His name became associated with the view that these territories did not belong to Asia but formed a separate continent. In 1507, the cartographer Martin Waldseemüller used the name “America” on a world map, derived from the Latinized form of Vespucci’s first name.

The world voyage from 2023 to 2025 combined naval training with representational duties. During stays in port, the ship served as a venue for diplomatic encounters and cultural events. Accompanying presentations under the name “Villaggio Italia” showcased, among other things, Italian culture, science, technology and economic products. The ship thus assumed a role that is often referred to as maritime diplomacy in the context of naval vessels.

The choice of this occasion for a commemorative coin can be explained by this multifaceted role: the *Amerigo Vespucci* represents the training tradition of the Italian Navy, recalls the history of European exploration through her name and represented Italy in numerous countries during the voyage. The coin issue also coincided with the completion of the several-year world voyage.