The world tour of the Amerigo Vespucci, the historic sailing ship and training ship of the Italian Navy, Ambassador of Made in Italy in the world, is arriving for the first time in its 93-year history in the UAE.
It will stop in Abu Dhabi from December 27 to 31 December, the 31st leg of the Vespucci World Tour, which started from Italy on July 1, 2023.
Vespucci World Tour
During its stay in Abu Dhabi , Nave Amerigo Vespucci will be flanked by Villaggio Italia, the international Made in Italy exhibition which brings together the “nationals of Italian excellence”, so that the Amerigo Vespucci’s World Tour is a unitary expression of the values of the entire nation and a showcase of Italian excellence and supply chains, a driving force for the economy and for the diffusion of Italian culture.
Hosted by the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal at Zayed Port and created in partnership with Experience Abu Dhabi, the Villaggio Italia will also celebrate the bond between Italy and the United Arab Emirates, a strategic country for our foreign policy and for our businesses, which welcomes a large community of compatriots.
The initiative “ Vespucci World Tour – Villaggio Italia ”, strongly desired by the Minister of Defence of the Italian Government Guido Crosetto and to which 11 Ministries adhere, together with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, combines the traditional training and Naval Diplomacy of the Training Ship with the promotion of Made in Italy excellence in the main ports covered by the campaign. This is the seventh appointment with the Villaggio Italia after those in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Darwin, Singapore, Mumbai and Doha.
The following Italian authorities are expected at the Villaggio Italia in Abu Dhabi : the President of the Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana; the Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto; the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation hon. Maria Tripodi; the Undersecretary of State for Defense Senator Isabella Rauti; the Ambassador of Italy to the United Arab Emirates Lorenzo Fanara; the Commander in Chief of the Naval Fleet, Admiral Aurelio De Carolis; Luca Andreoli, CEO of Difesa Servizi, the in-house company of the Ministry of Defense that implements and supports all phases of the initiative.
During the stopover in Abu Dhabi, the Amerigo Vespucci ship and the Villaggio Italia will be open to the public free of charge.
Visits on board the Amerigo Vespucci ship
Previous Booking on the website https://tourvespucci.it/en/abu-dhabi-27-31-december-2024/ it will be possible to climb aboard to experience first-hand the charm of the ship defined as “the most beautiful in the world”, guardian of the most ancient naval and seafaring traditions for over ninety years and emblem of the Italian Armed Forces.
On-board visits will be available on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 December from 3pm to 7pm; Monday 30th December in the morning from 10am to 12pm and in the afternoon from 3pm to 7pm; Tuesday 31 December from 10am to 12pm (for the visit, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes).
Activities offered by Villaggio Italia in Abu Dhabi
Villaggio Italia, with all its exhibitions, will be open to the public every day from 10am to 10.30pm (with the exception of Friday 27 December when it will open to the public at 12pm and close at 11pm and Tuesday 31 December when it will close at 6pm ).
Entrance to the Villaggio Italia, the exhibitions and the scheduled activities is free .
On the website you can find more information and reserve your places for the activities scheduled at the Village with limited places: https://tourvespucci.it/en/abu-dhabi-27-31-december-2024/
Music, art, theatre, design, cinema, conferences, sports-disability and gastronomy will be the areas of excellence protagonists at the Villaggio Italia in Abu Dhabi.
The culture
The “Guardia di Finanza” Band directed by Maestro Colonel Leonardo Laserra Ingrosso, in addition to participating in the official ceremonies, will hold a concert on December 27 at 9.30pm and will perform on December 28 at 3pm , an exciting program through timeless melodies: from the solemnity of national anthems to the masterpieces of Italian cinema and opera.
On December 28 at 7pm, artists from the famous Verona Arena will perform in a concert that will retrace the music of Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini, to celebrate the greatness of Italian opera.
On December 29 at 10.30am the Dubai Singers choir will perform ; at 6.30pm the Italian artist Serena Autieri will be the protagonist of a concert dedicated to the classics of Italian music while at 8.30pm there will be a concert by the artist Mark Zitti and the Coltelli Brothers who combines swing, jazz and energetic rhythms, evoking the spirit of the Dolce Vita with a modern touch.
On December 30 at 7pm “ Vespucci presents… The Ocean: the Dream’s Gate – Tales from the Sea between Music and Poetry ”. An exciting concert and theatrical show that combines the magic of the sea with music and poetry. Unforgettable songs such as “Si Viaggiare” by Lucio Battisti, “Il Mare d’Inverno” by Loredana Bertè and “All Around the World” by Lisa Stansfield intertwines with timeless poems such as Cavafy’s Ithaca and Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Organized by IEAP-Events and ITACA – Italian Theatre And Culture Association.
On December 31 at 11am concert “ Belcanto ” curated by the artist Gordon Santoro
Art
At the Villaggio Italia in Abu Dhabi, the Italian artist JAGO ( Jacopo Cardillo) will be present, a young Italian sculptor famous all over the world, the first artist to have sent a marble sculpture to the International Space Station, in 2019, on the occasion of the ESA Beyond mission.
In Abu Dhabi, Jago will have an entire pavilion dedicated to his art, where he will exhibit the marble work “family” in which three forearms intertwine and embrace each other in a continuous and fluid movement where each hand holds the other creating a seamless circle that reveals the importance of cohesion and mutual belonging. The other work exhibited is called “future” and is the new sculptural project by Jago, conceived to represent a message of hope and cultural connection.
On December 29 at 12pm Jago will be the protagonist of a meeting dedicated to him in which he will talk about all his work.
The Villaggio Italia will also host the work “Posidonia”, inspired by the sea, by the artist Lorenzo Quinn.
Theater
On December 30 at 9pm Villaggio Italia will host the theatrical show “Ovid the relegated poet, Metamorphosis of exile ” by actor Ugo Pagliai.
Design
The “Italia Geniale” exhibition dedicated to Italian design, created by the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy and the Ministry of Defense in collaboration with ADI Design Museum, will also be present in Abu Dhabi, telling the world about the invention, creativity and design capabilities of Made in Italy . Guided tours of the exhibition will also be available every day.
Cinema
At Villaggio Italia it will be possible to attend some film screenings selected in collaboration with the Venice Biennale International Film Festival:
December 28 at 9pm the film “ The Lion’s Share ” by Baptiste Etchegaray and Giuseppe Bucchi; December 29 at 5pm the film “ Happiness ” by Michela Ramazzotti; December 30 at 4pm the film “ Comandante ” by E. De Angelis.
On December 27 at 3pm Villaggio Italia will host the event “ La Dolce Via Festival ” curated by Benedetta Paravia, dedicated to the promotion of Italian cinematographic culture, with the screening of the film “Goffredo, e l’Italia chiamò” by Angelo Antonucci.
Dedicated to children
On December 29 , 30 and 31 at 10am there will be the “Vespucci Camp – A Journey into the History of the Vespucci”. An event for children aged 8 to 12, accompanied by their parents, dedicated to the legendary training ship Amerigo Vespucci. Children will have the opportunity to imagine and draw the next voyage of the Vespucci, creating together a fantastic map that tells stories of exploration and discovery.
The gastronomy
Even at the Villaggio Italia in Abu Dhabi, many moments will be dedicated to Italian gastronomic excellence that will be protagonists with the art of pizza and olive oil , for a journey into the taste and tradition of Italian craftsmanship thanks to a program of events promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests that will take place in a dedicated area, “ Anima Italia ”. The Villaggio Italia will also host the “Garden of Italian excellence” , a corner of nature dedicated to typical Italian crops, a tribute to the rich tradition of Mediterranean cuisine and the authentic flavors of Italy.
Masterclass dedicated to Pizza : every day the Villaggio Italia, in the Anima Italia area, hosts Masterclasses tasting Italian pizza made by the chefs of Italia Olivicola (December 27 from 2pm to 3pm; from December 28 to 31 from 12pm to 1pm). The event focuses on the preparation of pizza, exploring the use of the most suitable flours and the techniques to obtain perfect dough.
Olive oil tasting masterclass Italian: on December 27, 28 and 30 at 6:15pm, free masterclasses will be held by Italia Olivicola, the National Consortium of Olive Growers (free reservations on the website https://tourvespucci.it/en/ until all places are filled) for a journey to discover the organoleptic characteristics of Italian gold.
Conferences
On December 28 at 12pm, the conference “ WOW – Spirito di Stella ” will be dedicated to the fully accessible catamaran also engaged in a world tour. The project “ Wheels on Waves – Ruote sulle Onde”, born from an idea by Andrea Stella , founder and President of the Association “Lo Spirito di Stella”, is promoted by the Ministry of Defense, the Defense General Staff and Difesa Servizi, and is aimed at military personnel and civilians with disabilities who have suffered permanent injuries in the performance of their service, who, regardless of their physical, cognitive or sensorial characteristics, have the opportunity to live a unique sea and sailing experience with the mission of demonstrating that breaking down barriers is possible.
On December 28 at 2pm there will be a conference on the figure of Amerigo Vespucci “Ocean and Stars” by Andrea Galluzzo, author of the book “Between Ocean and Stars, Memoirs of Amerigo Vespucci”. A moment to discover the adventurous life of Amerigo Vespucci who, starting from Florence in the fifteenth century, reached the ends of the earth and gave his name to the new world that, in his name, we call America.
The seminar organized by the MedOr Foundation will be held on December 28 at 3pm on freedom of navigation to explore Italy’s growing role in maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region and the strengthening of collaborations with the Gulf countries. The event will offer a unique opportunity to discuss future challenges and opportunities in this field with a focus on the United Arab Emirates. Speakers will include : Dr. Paolo Busco, Barrister, Twenty Essex Chambers; Dr. Ebtesam Al- Ketbi , President and Founder, Emirates Policy Center; Dr. Mohammad Baharoon , Director General, Dubai Public Policy Research Center; Mr. Massimo Khairallah , Director of International Relations, Med-Or Leonardo Foundation; Lt. Col. Ali Al- Zeyoudi , Member of the Directive Staff at the Joint Command and Staff College, UAE.
On December 28 at 4.30pm the conference “ Protecting Made in Italy : the fight against counterfeiting” will be held, organized by the Italian economic daily newspaper Sole 24 Ore.
December 29 at 4pm Seminar dedicated to “From Amerigo Vespucci to Luna Rossa: 100 years of Italian excellence” by Italiacamp . A meeting to celebrate a century of Italian excellence in the world of sailing, from the Amerigo Vespucci Training Ship to Luna Rossa. We will explore the innovations and training that have made Italy a world leader, with a focus on the Vespucci as a symbol of tradition and training of sailors. A story of successes and challenges, a symbol of Made in Italy excellence .
On December 29 at 2.30pm, the talk “ The Vespucci meets the United Arab Emirates: a look at Italy from Abu Dhabi” will be held , organized by the Italian press agency ANSA and dedicated to bilateral relations between Italy and the United Arab Emirates, with the participation of institutional and civil representatives.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
