"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" launched fifty years ago

Our ship, the star of this Blog was launched in 1961, photo above, and came into service in November of 1963, so this year marks 50 years since this unforgettable Liner was born, a very special thank you to Lloyd Triestino her owners, her designers and to her ship builders to have given life to the ship that marked my life like no other, I still clearly remember the visits I have paid to her engine room back in 1976 when I sailed on her, she had four turbines that propelled her to a cruising speed of 24 knots, during sea trials she reached 27.1, the fastest Italian Liner together with her sister, GALILEO GALILEI on the Australian service

"GALILEO GALILEI" evolutionary profile

Beautiful postcard of the "GALILEO GALILEI" from a Lloyd Triestino's image published later on a FINMARE magazine showing GALILEO's sleek profile but also evolutionary lines with a futuristic mast and funnel.

"GALILEO GALILEI" the first of the sisters to be bought

"GALILEO GALILEI" was bought in 1983 by CHANDRIS she did a few cruises with her original form but in 1984 before starting cruising in the Caribbean additional passenger accommodation was added to her forward decks, changing the ship's elegant profile for the worse, but she was destined to become an historic ship for CHANDRIS and the new company to be formed seven years later, the most impressive CELEBRITY CRUISES. Also before starting cruising in the Caribbean, her name was shortened to just "GALILEO". Top photo Copyright Luis Miguel Correia

"GALILEO GALILEI" at Messina in 1973 with QUEEN FREDERICA from CHANDRIS a sign of things to come for the Italian Liner

"GALILEO GALILEI" is seen here at Messina in 1973, behind her is the 1927 built S.S. MOLOLO here as the "QUEEN FREDERICA" operated by CHANDRIS, a sign of things to come, ten years later "GALILEO GALILEI" was bought by CHANDRIS, in the meantime QUEEN FREDERICA had long gone by then, the ship was scrapped in 1977 after being withdrawn from service in 1973.

"GALILEO GALILEI" at Wellington in 1967

When I started this Blog in August last year, the aim was to bring back to life "GUGLIELMO MARCONI" and pay tribute to this remarkable ship. She and her sister were two of the finest Italian Liners ever built, the largest of their owners, Lloyd Triestino and two of the best known and successful liners of the Australian Immigrant trade, when they came into service, they were innovative in their conception and design, today eight months later this Blog is followed by the people that it was intended to, a Maritime Museum from Italy showed interest on some of the posts, Italian fans of the ship and even Australian passengers showed interest on the Blog. Just last week Tim Noble from Melbourne, keen follower of the Blog volunteered to send me some photos of the "MARCONI" and her twin sister, the "GALILEO GALILEI" during their down under distinguished carreers. The photo included in this "post" is a classic example of that, "GALILEO" is seen here at Wellington in 1967 an outstanding photo taken by Tim's father in 1967, sailing on the ship as a passenger. A big thank you to Tim Noble and all the followers of this Blog, I will endeavour to carry on this work and will do everything  to turn the Blog appealing, please keep it dynamic from your end with all your comments. Once again thank you to Tim Noble, Lindsey Rex and John Bone Melbourne photographers.

"GALILEO GALILEI" at Hobart

One of the most beautiful photos of these splendid sisters, the "GALILEO GALILEI" at Hobart in Australia in 1965, her remarkable, clean profile can be truly appreciated here, one of a kind

"GALILEO GALILEI" in Lisbon for the last time as a LlOYD TRIESTINO ship

Historic momentum caught on camera by Luis Miguel Correia, the last call of "GALILEO GALILEI" in Lisbon as a Lloyd Triestino liner, the date 3.6.1975, she was at the end of another voyage around the World, she continued sailing for Lloyd until 1977, after a period of two years laid-up she returned to Lisbon in 1979 on her maiden voyage flying the I.C.I. colours after being converted to a full time cruise ship. Photos of that particular historic call coming here soon. Photos above copyright Luis Miguel Correia

"MARCONI" in Naples today

"MARCONI" is at Naples today, the ship docked at 08.00 and will depart this afternoon at 17.00 to Genoa, where she will dock tomorrow at 08.00, the end of her World Voyage. Above photo of "GALILEO GALILEI" at Naples in 1965

"MARCONI" will get to Acapulco tomorrow morning

Image of sheer beauty and elegance at sea, the "MARCONI's" sister GALILEO GALILEI cruising the oceans of the World. "MARCONI" will get to Acapulco tomorrow morning, the ship will stay in port for 34 hours.

"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" and "GALILEO GALILEI", phase two of their lives

Coming soon on this blog, MARCONI's and GALILEO's chapter two of their sea going careers, after 1977 both ships were laid-up for a long time and their days as liners were over, they would be both transformed into full-time cruise ships. "MARCONI" is at the moment travelling around the World, this epic voyage ends on the 7.11.2012 at Genova, second chapter of their long careers coming here just after.

"MARCONI's" sister "GALILEO GALILEI" at sea

Image of sheer beauty and elegance, one of the Lloyd Triestino Australian express liners at sea, "GALILEO GALILEI" in this particular case.

GALILEO GALILEI just off Sydney

 GALILEO GALILEI is seen here just off Sydney in the early sixties, photo copyright collection Luis Miguel Correia, below a fabulous postcard of GUGLIELMO MARCONI at sea, late sixties, two perfect demonstrations of the sheer elegance of these amazing ships in their prime.

"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" built for the Australian immigrant route

"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" and her sister were conceived in the late 50's for the immigrant service to Australia, they came both into service in 1963, AUSTRALIA was one of the prime destinations for people wanting to start a new life overseas, the main source of immigration to the country was from Europe particulary from Great Britain followed by Italy and Greece. People in the 50' and 60's were looking to get away from a devastated Europe as a result of World War II, a war that got really close to Australia, as a result its small population of about 10 million people realized the need for the country to blend and grow quickly. Sydney was the main destination, the state capital of New South Wales today the most populated city in Australia with over 4.5 million people. The LLOYD TRIESTINO twins visited for many years Australia on monthly basis so they were associated with the lives of hundreds of thousands of passengers, families seeking a new life. Photos above, MARCONI and GALILEO at Sydney and the city today (taken from the internet)

GUGLIELMO MARCONI and GALILEO GALILEI, first years in service

"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" and "GALILEO GALILEI" were very successful ships during their first 6/7 years on the Italy to Australian service their reputation grown worldwide, despite competition from other European operators particulary the British, but still they were running virtually full with their voyages being advertised all over Europe with special focus on the UK passengers, but troubled years were soon to come for the last liners on regular service and of course the sisters were no exception to the rule, decline in passenger numbers and oil crisis were soon to come, this will be a subject for future posts, for now let's enjoy the amazing photos above and remember how gorgeous these two ships were and keep them alive, the aim of this blog, as they were and still are so many times forgotten by Maritime Historians, who just play safe with accounts of more imposing and better known ships

LLOYD TRIESTINO Express service to Australia and around the World cruising

                               Guglielmo Marconi at speed

                                          Galileo Galilei at Pago Pago

                                        Galileo Galilei at the Panama Canal

                                        Guglielmo Marconi at Port Said

With the launch of the new ships GALILEO GALILEI and GUGLIELMO MARCONI, LLOYD TRIESTINO could now offer an express service to AUSTRALIA with the sister ships taken just over three weeks for the trip from Genova to Sydney, both would travel via the Suez Canal for both legs of the voyage, for the first 7/8 years they were profitable and regarded as two of the best ships on the Australian route, they became popular for the hotel services on board with excellent cuisine and very comfortable passenger facilities and they were of course very fast liners, the GALILEO reached 27.4 knots as maximum speed and the MARCONI, 27 knots. With the arrival of the 70's a decline in passenger numbers and the oil crisis doomed not just the LLOYD TRIESTINO twins but passenger liners in general, in an attempt to secure more passengers after 1972 both ships would often return home from Australia via the Panama and Caribbean, in 1973 both ships embarked on epic around the world voyages that would take about 80 days with the ships calling at Malta, Tenerife, Cape Town, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Sydney, Auckland, Noumea, Suva, Tahiti, Acapulco, Balboa, Cristobal, Curacao, Lisbon, Malaga and Piraeus before returning home to Genoa via Messina and Naples with the ships steaming about 31.000 nautical miles. All photos from my private collection

MARCONI and GALILEO innovative funnels

When the sisters were delivered in 1963 apart from the original hull design, another innovation was the telescopic funnel tops, clearly inspirational for other passenger liners to come, MICHELANGELO and RAFFAELLO a good example of that. Photos above, the ITALIA CROCIERI INTERNAZIONALI logo, a company formed in 1979 part of ITALIA LINE that operated the sisters and the AUSONIA on cruising, short lived adventure, but that will be a subject for other posts in the future, middle and bottom photos, GALILEO's funnel cruising the Panama Canal and MARCONI ready for departure from the port of Genoa.

"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" design and conception

"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" and her sister "GALILEO GALILEI", came into service in 1963, they were clearly designed with some similarities to the 1960 LEONARDO DA VINCI, built by Ansaldo, both ships can be seen above cruising at the Panama Canal, but they were also original and innovative, the same hull conception was used two years later for the OCEANIC and in 1966 for the building of the EUGENIO C, both seen above, the OCEANIC was 238.5 meters long and the EUGENIO C 217.4, as opposed to the 213.9 of the twin sisters, they were all built by CR Del Adriatico. These fine liners were the most elegant passenger liners I have ever seen, not as imposing, grand and majestic as the MICHELANGELO, QE2, CANBERRA amongst others, but they were clearly more elegant in my opinion.

"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" ships particulars

     T/N "GUGLIELMO MARCONI"

                             Artistic Impression of the twin sisters and the real ships below

Builder: CANTIERI RIUNITI DEL' ADRIATICO, ITALY
Yard nr: 1863
GRT: 27.905
Length: 213.9 meters
Width: 28.6 meters
De Laval geared turbines from builders
Twin screw: 44.000 s.h.p.
24 knots cruising speed, maximum 26
Passengers: 156 1st class, 1594 tourist class
Crew: 443
Launched: 24.9.1961
Completed: October 1963
Maiden voyage: Genoa/Sydney, 18.11.1963
Operated by LLOYD TRIESTINO until 1975                  

                           

"LLOYD TRIESTINO" a brief history and the building of their largest passenger ships

LLOYD TRIESTINO started in 1837 and it is said to be the oldest shipping company in the World, CUNARD was founded three years later, originally the company was known as AUSTRIAN LLOYD and became one of the World's biggest shipping companies, it changed the name to LLOYD TRIESTINO in 1919 when the Trieste region became part of Italy. Until recently the company's headquarters were housed in a grand palace at Trieste which looked a lot more like a museum. Today LLOYD TRIESTINO has a fleet of cargo-container ships, but they once were a great Passenger Line, their liners operated from Italy to India, Hong-Kong, East and South African ports and Australia, ships like the ASIA, AFRICA and OCEANIA became very prestigious and well known passenger ships. In 1949 two ITALIA LINE cargo-passenger ships were chartered for the Italy to Australia service, the ships were the SEBASTIAN CABOTO and the UGOLINO VIVALDI, this has always been a busy service so a decision was made in 1960 to order the building of two large and fast liners for this route, the orders were placed with CANTIERI RIUNITI DEL ADRIATICO, the first ship "GALILEO GALILEI" was delivered late March of 1963 and her twin sister, very identical sister, the "GUGLIELMO MARCONI" came into service in November the same year, they became the fastest and largest liners ever to sail on the Australian service, they were able to complete the voyage via the Suez Canal from Genoa to Sydney in just over three weeks, the sisters were to be the last LLOYD TRIESTINO passenger liners.

"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" the Blog

"GUGLIELMO MARCONI" was ordered by Lloyd Triestino in 1960 together with her sister ship "GALILEO GALILEI" for their immigrant route from Genoa to Australia, the ships were the largest passenger ships ever built for Lloyd Triestino and they were to be also their last, they were built in Italy by CANTIERI RIUNITI DEL' ADRIATICO, both were delivered in 1963, the GALILEO was the first in April, MARCONI came seven months later. They were very comfortable ships and they were fast, both cruised at 24 knots which enabled them to sail from Genoa to Australia in just over three weeks via the Suez Canal. "GUGLIELMO MARCONI" has always been a special ship for me, I will never forget the first time I saw her in Lisbon in 1976 when she came into service in January of that year as a running mate of the fabulous CRISTOFORO COLOMBO on the Naples-Brazil-River Plate route, sailing for ITALIA LINE. Went many times on board the ship and in May the same year I had the privilege  of sailing on MARCONI from Lisbon to Naples and back. Throughout the years I have collected many photos, postcards, brochures of these beautiful sisters which are now coming here, an impossible task if it wasn't for the internet. This is also a tribute to these incredible liners turned cruise ships later in their lives, the other day I was reading some comment on Facebook, another admirer of the ships that coudn't understand why nobody has ever made a book about these two sisters, many times forgotten by Historians, they have not been mentioned on many Liner Books, which is in my opinion unacceptable, after all they were the largest and fastest Italian Liners ever to operate on the Australian service. The building of the ships, their liner service and their full time cruising in latter years is the aim of this blog