The Amerigo Vespucci ship and the Villaggio Italia Arrive in Los Angeles

Minister of Defence of Italy Guido Crosetto to attend the inaugural ceremony on July 3

Opening to the public from July 3 to 8 at the Port of Los Angeles Outer Harbor 

LOS ANGELES, June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amerigo Vespucci ship, a historic sailing and training vessel of the Italian Navy and ambassador of Made in Italy worldwide, will dock at the port of Los Angeles from July 3 to 8. The Villaggio Italia, a 'Multi-Year Traveling World Exposition' of Italian excellence offering visitors a unique experience to discover the soul and beauty of Italy, will be set up at the port next to the Vespucci.

The inaugural ceremony of Villaggio Italia will be held on Wednesday, July 3, at 10:30 a.m., attended by Italy's Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto, who strongly supported the project and will deliver remarks. Notable attendees of the opening ceremony include Mariangela Zappia, Italian Ambassador to the U.S.; Admiral Enrico Credendino, Chief of the Italian Navy; General Luca Goretti, Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force; Luca Andreoli, CEO of Difesa Servizi; Captain Giuseppe Lai, Commander of the Amerigo Vespucci; Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer; Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County Supervisor; and Erin Bromaghim, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor.

Deputy Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy Valentino Valentini will attend the closing ceremony of Villaggio Italia on July 8.

Guests can come aboard the Amerigo Vespucci ship every day and experience the charm of the "most beautiful ship in the world," custodian of the most ancient naval and maritime traditions for over ninety years and emblem of the Italian Navy. For times and reservations, visit tourvespucci.it/en/events/come-aboard. 

At the Villaggio Italia, nearly 130,000 square feet of exhibition spaces will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Please note, the Villaggio Italia will open at 4 p.m. on July 3, and it will close at 12:30 p.m. on July 8. For more information on times and schedule, visit https://tourvespucci.it/en/legs/los-angeles-2/.

Frecce Tricolori
On July 4 at 4 p.m., July 6 at 7:15 p.m., and July 8 at 7 p.m., the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force's National Aerobatic Team, will perform an air show over Los Angeles, flying right above the Vespucci. This event is part of their current North America Tour (NAT).

Music
Every day, visitors will be able to enjoy the performance of the Carabinieri's Fanfara Cadet Team playing both inside and outside the Villaggio Italia, also reaching the streets of Hollywood, Santa Monica Pier and Beverly Gardens Park (times are available on the website www.tourvespucci.it/en). On July 5 at 7 p.m. at Villaggio Italia, it will be possible to attend the performance of excellent musicians from the Milan-based La Scala Academy (Accademia Teatro alla Scala).

Exhibitions
Inside Villaggio Italia, many free-access exhibitions include:

• "Italia Geniale," dedicated to the history of Italian Design
• "Divina immersiva eccellenza" ("Divine immersive excellence"), an exhibition dedicated to the country's wine heritage
• "Turismo delle Radici" ("Tourism of the Roots"), an exhibition dedicated to Italians abroad and Italian descendants wishing to reconnect with their origins
•  "Siamo Mare" ("We are the Sea"), a photographic exhibition on the beauty of Italian seas, in tune with the environmental-protection actions that the Vespucci carries out in academic and university settings while promoting the World Oceans Day goals.
• An exhibition of 23 ideas that became businesses, telling the story of large and small companies, family-run and not, that stand out in the national and international panorama for originality, creativity, courage and innovation, and that describe the success of the Italian economic model.
• A dedicated area will showcase the most innovative Italian infrastructures, including the MOSE (Experimental Electromechanical Module or MOdulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico in Italian) in Venice and the Strait of Messina Bridge project.

Italian Sports
Villaggio Italia will feature an exhibition of historic Olympic Torches from the Olympics held in Italy and the participation of great champions and supporters of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Art
Villaggio Italia will feature the new bronze work "La David," a bold reinterpretation of Michelangelo's iconic masterpiece, created by Jago, one of the major exponents of contemporary Italian art. (July 6 at 5 p.m. meeting with the artist)

Cinema
Screenings of internationally successful Italian films selected by the Venice Biennale's Mostra Internazionale del Cinema della Biennale di Venezia:

• "Io Capitano" by Matteo Garrone on July 4 at 6 p.m.
• "Jago into the white" by Luigi Pingitore on July 4 at 8 p.m.
• "Comandante" by Edoardo De Angelis on July 5 at 8:30 p.m.
• "Sergio Leone, l'italiano che inventò l'America" by Francesco Zippel on July 6 at 8 p.m.
• "Ennio" by Giuseppe Tornatore on July 7 at 8 p.m.

Italian Cuisine
Visitors of Villaggio Italia will also be able to enjoy the world's most beloved cuisine with Eataly's "Ristorante Italia" and show cooking sessions, conferences and an immersive exhibition. Every day from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., attendees will have a chance to taste the "Aperitivo all'Italiana." Reservations at tourvespucci.it/en/los-angeles-3-8-july-2024. 

Every evening at 8:09 p.m., attendees can watch the flag-lowering ceremony of the Amerigo Vespucci from the dock.

After Los Angeles, the Vespucci and Villaggio Italia will visit Tokyo, Japan (Aug. 25-30), Darwin, Australia (Oct. 4-7), Singapore (Oct. 24-28), Mumbai, India (Nov. 28-Dec. 2), Abu Dhabi, UAE (Dec. 17-19), Doha, Qatar (Dec. 22-25), and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Jan. 20-24, 2025).

In addition to the Ministry of Defense, the Villaggio Italia initiative involves the Presidency of the Council of Ministers — with the Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies and the Minister for Sport and Youth — the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Tourism.

For more information on the Amerigo Vespucci World Tour in Los Angeles, including a full schedule of events, please visit TourVespucci.it.  Images and b-roll are available in this Google folder.

SOURCE The Amerigo Vespucci & Villaggio Italia