This Italian Navy training ship gives a glimpse into the country's art & culture

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 BatheacuteHoused alongside the Villaggio Italia mdash an enclave celebrating Italian culture art music and design mdash the shiprsquos visit is part of a fiveday initiative led by the Italian government to showcase the countryrsquos culture and further relations with IndiaThe gilded figurehead of Amerigo Vespucci at the bow of the shipWe 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 entranceWith the sun climbing the crowds began to file in and we decided to follow them We climb into the ship through a wooden drawbridge ldquoThis is perhaps the quieter area of the shiprdquo 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 hullAlthough equipped with modern navigation systems the ship still retains its classical designThe Nave Amerigo Vespucci as it is officially known was built in 1931 in the Castellammare di Stabia in Naples Italy Termed lsquoone of the most beautiful ships in the worldrsquo by the American Navy it is a full squarerigged 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 sailorsA view of the guns placed on the deck with bugles and a capThe 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 ldquoOur 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 unfurledrdquo beamed Cazzato Having passed Australia and Phuket the vessel will dock in Mumbai till December 2 before heading home through the Middle EastLt Cazzato describes the journey of the vesselFor a 93yearold 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 mdash upper middle and tween mdash 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 NavyA view of the rigging from the deck of the shipThe ship has already caught the attention of crowds beyond As we step out we notice artists Subhash Batheacute and retired captain Prafulla Udaykar seated by the pavilion The Punebased duo has travelled all the way to the city to sketch the ship ldquoIt is hard to get a full view of the shiprdquo Batheacute remarks We agree Perhaps next time we will be so lucky as to take it out to seaTill December 2 10 am onwardsAt Green Gate Indira Docks Ballard PierLog on to tourvespucciit registration mandatoryFree