by InTrieste
The Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian Navy’s historic training ship, will conclude its 2026 North American World Tour in Trieste during the 58th edition of the Barcolana, organizers announced on Wednesday.
The finale will coincide with Barcolana, the world’s largest sailing regatta, scheduled for Oct. 11, bringing together one of Italy’s most recognizable naval symbols and the Adriatic city’s signature maritime event.
The announcement was made aboard the Amerigo Vespucci in Naples, where the vessel is docked for the 38th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup preliminary regatta. Speaking at the presentation were Admiral Vincenzo Montanaro, commander of the Italian Navy’s Logistics Command; Luca Andreoli, chief executive of Difesa Servizi; and Mitja Gialuz, president of the Società Velica di Barcola e Grignano, which organizes Barcolana.
The North American campaign, launched by Italy’s Ministry of Defense and produced by Difesa Servizi in collaboration with several government ministries, began in May 2026. After a final stop in Venice, the Amerigo Vespucci will sail to Trieste, where it will participate in the week-long celebrations surrounding Barcolana.
From Oct. 8 to 12, Trieste will also host the returning Villaggio IN Italia, a public waterfront village featuring exhibitions, cultural programming and forums dedicated to sailing and underwater exploration.
The city is expected to welcome another major maritime event at the same time: the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Veloce, an international offshore sailing race that begins in Genoa on Sept. 25 and will finish in Trieste for the first time in its six editions.
A longstanding relationship with Barcolana
The Amerigo Vespucci has become closely associated with Barcolana over the past decade.
The ship participated in the regatta’s landmark 50th edition in 2018, when its symbolic entry helped the event achieve a Guinness World Record for the largest sailing race. It returned in 2019, appeared again in 2022 to ceremonially signal the start of the race, and was celebrated in March 2025 with a special Barcolana edition marking its return to Italy after its previous global voyage. That event drew more than 1,300 sailing, motor and rowing boats escorting the vessel into the Gulf of Trieste beneath a flyover by Italy’s Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team.
Montanaro said the Navy views its participation in major sailing events as both a sporting and territorial partnership, emphasizing the close relationship between the armed forces and host cities. Andreoli described the project as an opportunity to connect Italy’s maritime traditions with international audiences, while Gialuz said welcoming the Vespucciat the conclusion of its North American campaign would carry special significance for Trieste after the celebrations held in 2025.
