💙There are ships that have entered into legend, and others that, despite having written a beautiful page of history, have remained in the oblivion of time.
Today, I want to tell you about the piroscáfo Francesco I, which was the marvel of the first 19th century, due to its beauty and innovative navigation techniques, but not only that...
🥇On 16 April 1833, the first ever cruise took place aboard the luxurious steamship Francesco I, a marvel built in the Castellammare di Stabia shipyards and flying the flag of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.🇧🇱 The ship set sail from Naples and called at several Mediterranean ports: Catania, Malta, Corfu, Athens, etc., before landing in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul).
The fun was not limited solely to on board; it was also guaranteed by guided tours of art, history, and culture. 🏛️
📰 A large advertising campaign was launched to spread the word, and the maiden voyage was announced throughout Europe.
👑In addition to King Ferdinand II and the Queen, numerous nobles and princes 🎩💍 of the time embarked on the Francesco I, including English, French, Russian, Spanish, Prussian, Bavarian, etc., for a total of 43 passengers (unfortunately, I have not found any data about crew on board).
🧭The ship returned to Naples on 9th August, after a 112-day cruise, during which, according to the writer Francesco Li Volti: "there was no room for boredom,' given the trips organized to the prestigious locations chosen for mooring, and the parties, dances, and games that entertained the illustrious guests on board the ship during the crossing".💃🍸♟️🥂🎻
🛳️ The voyage was never repeated, but it inaugurated a new type of tourism and sowed the seed that blossomed a century later, that of the cruise industry.
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