Nave Scuola Amerigo Vespucci’s visit to Mumbai ended in the late morning of Monday, 2 December, with the unmooring ceremony and the public’s final farewell to the famous ‘most beautiful ship in the world’. For the first time in its history, the legendary Italian sailing ship docked in India, where the customary Villaggio Italia (Italy Village) was set up, a travelling exhibition that accompanies the Vespucci Tour on its most significant stages, promoting Italy’s excellence.
The stop in Mumbai was attended by a large number of Italian and Indian institutional representatives. Among the prominent personalities present were the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso, the Undersecretary for Defence Matteo Perego di Cremnago and the Ambassador of Italy to India and Nepal Antonio Bartoli, accompanied by their respective delegations. On the Indian side, the Minister of Ports, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Chief Secretary of the State of Maharashtra, Sujata Saunik, attended the event.
During the event, Villaggio Italia was transformed into a vibrant hub of culture and dialogue. In addition to film shows, concerts and exhibitions under the banner of ‘Italian-ness’ and ‘beautiful and well-made’, meetings and conferences on topical issues were held. Among the highlights was the conference ‘Invest in Italy: Where Innovating is Tradition’, dedicated to investment flows between Italy and India, which saw the participation of all the most important players of the country system such as ICE Mumbai and the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as representatives of Italian-Indian entrepreneurs. An afternoon was also dedicated to the Blue and Space Economy, with four thematic panels and a meeting between authorities and Italian entrepreneurs active in the region.
‘The strongest ties, those that survive the test of time, are built through constant commitment and shared vision. This same principle is reflected in the relationship between our two countries, which over the years have consolidated a partnership made up of mutual respect, cultural exchanges and economic collaboration,’ pointed out Consul General Walter Ferrara, recalling the Ship’s motto “not those who begin, but those who persevere”. ‘My wish is that this meeting is only the beginning of new horizons shared between Italy and India, a journey that, like the routes of the sea, will lead us towards a future of cooperation and friendship,’ he concluded.
Despite the difficulties inevitably encountered in organising an event of this magnitude, Nave Vespucci’s visit to Mumbai was an extraordinary success: a total of 48,000 visitors, of whom 19,000 went on board for guided tours; 25 events were organised, 51 hours of opening to the public and 78 hours of shows. The digital impact was also remarkable, with 143 million views and 21.5 million interactions on the Tour’s official social channels.
