Destroyers

Mirabello class

Carlo Mirabello

(1847-1910) Italian admiral of the fleet; he was Minister of the Navy and an expert of naval matters, and executed important hydrographic researches in Italy and France.

Augusto Riboty

(1816-1888) Italian admiral of the fleet. He fought during the I and III War of Independence; he achieved a golden medal for valour in the battle of Lissa.

Leone class

Leone

[lion] Large, strong, flesh-eating animal of the cat family found in Africa and South Asia.

Pantera

[panther] Large, flesh-eating animal of the cat family with black skin.

Tigre

[tiger] Large, fierce animal of the cat family, yellow-skinned with black stripes.

Leopardo

[leopard] Large African and South Asian flesh-eating animal of the cat family with a yellow coat and dark spots.

Lince

[lynx] Short-tailed wild animal of the cat family, noted for its good eye sight.

Sella class

Quintino Sella

(1827-1884) Italian statesman, he was in the government of the kingdom of Sardinia during the wars of independence.

Francesco Crispi

(1818-1901) Italian statesman. He was an active promoter of the Italian unification, and later became the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy.

Bettino Ricasoli

(1809-1880) Italian statesman. He was a promoter of the unification of Tuscany under the Italian Kingdom. He became Prime Minister after Cavour.

Giovanni Nicotera

(1828-1894) Italian patriot and statesman. He was a follower of Garibaldi during his expeditions. He later became Minister of the Interior.

Sauro class

Nazario Sauro

(1880-1916) Italian patriot. He was born in Istria, under the Austrian rule. He fought in the Italian Royal Navy during the First World War. He was captured during a mission with his submarine and hanged as a traitor.

Cesare Battisti

(1875-1916) Italian journalist and patriot. He founded some newspapers in Trento, his city which was under the rule of Austria, which were closed by the Austrian government. He then fought in the Italian Army during World War I for the liberation of Trento, but was caught by the Austrians and hanged as a traitor.

Daniele Manin

(1804-1857) Italian statesman. He fought during the insurrection of Milan (1848) and defended the city of Venice against the Austrian army. After the capitulation he was exiled to Paris, where he died.

Francesco Nullo

(1826-1863) Italian patriot. He fought with Garibaldi during the wars of independence. He died in Poland, where he went to help the Polish insurrection against the czar.

Turbine class

Turbine

[whirlwind] Swift circling current of air.

Aquilone

A wind blowing from the north.

Borea

[Boreas] A wind blowing from the north.

Espero

[Esperus] A wind blowing from the west.

Euro

[Eurus] A wind blowing from south-east.

Nembo

[nimbus] A raincloud.

Ostro

[Auster] A wind blowing from the south.

Zeffiro

[zephyr] A wind blowing from the west.

Navigatori class

Luca Tarigo

(XIV cen.) A merchant and explorer of Genoa. In 1374 he sailed up the Don and Volga rivers.

Lanzerotto Malocello

(XIV cen.) Explorer and seafarer from Genoa. He explored the Canary Islands, giving his name to one of them (Lanzerote).

Leone Pancaldo

(1488-1538) Italian sailorman, he was with Magellan on board the Trinidad.

Antonio da Noli

Genoese captain and explorer. He commanded a caravle and claimed to be the discoverer of the Cape Verde Islands.

Ugolino Vivaldi

(XIII cen.) Seafarer from Genoa. He sailed with his brother Guido through the Strait of Gibraltar, bound to the West or maybe trying to circumnavigate Africa. Unknown is his final destination and his fate.

Antoniotto Usodimare

(1415-1461) Explorer and seafarer from Genoa. After a bankrupt, he went to Lisbon, where he received the command of an expedition to the African coast.

Emanuele Pessagno

(XIV cen.) Admiral in the fleet of Genoa. He went in Portugal, where he became supreme commander of the fleet and supervisor at the ship building.

Nicoloso da Recco

(XIV cen.) Seafarer from Genoa. He commanded a Portuguese expedition to the Canary Islands.

Nicoló Zeno

(XIV cen.) Venetian explorer. It is said that he sailed to the North, reaching the Svalbard Island and Greenland; but it is thought that this is a fake.

Giovanni da Verrazzano

(?-1528) Explorer and seafarer. He was the first to explore the coast of North America and to search the possibility of a north-western passage to the Indies. On his second expedition to Central America he lost his life.

Alvise di Ca' da Mosto

Explorer and seafarer from Venice. In 1455 and 1456 he explored the African coast to the Gambia river with Antoniotto Usodimare.

Antonio Pigafetta

(1480-?) Italian explorer and the historian of the Magellan's expedition. He was on board the flag ship and one of the eighteen survivors who came back to Spain.

Freccia class

Freccia

[arrow] Thin, pointed stick to be shot from a bow.

Saetta

Poled weapon similar to the arrow, thrown with a bow.

Dardo

[dart] Small, sharp-pointed missile, hand-thrown at a target.

Strale

Originally a type of dart; now a poetical synonym for an arrow or dart.

Folgore class

Baleno

[flash] Sudden burst of light.

Folgore

[thunderbolt] Flash of lightning with a crash of thunder.

Fulmine

[thunderbolt] A single discharge of lightning with the accompanying thunder.

Lampo

[lightning] Flash of bright light produced by natural electricity by clouds in the sky.

Maestrale class

Maestrale

[mistral] A wind blowing from north-west.

Libeccio

A wind blowing from south-west.

Scirocco

[sirocco] A wind blowing from south-east.

Grecale

A wind blowing from north-east.

Oriani class

Alfredo Oriani

(1852-1909) Italian writer of novels. He was pointed out by Mussolini as the inspirer of the Fascism.

Vincenzo Gioberti

(1801-1852) Italian philosopher and statesman. He was a priest, but after his republican ideas he was exiled to Paris (1834-1845). With the Wars of Independence he came back to Italy, where he was acclaimed as a prophet.

Giosué Carducci

(1835-1907) Italian poet. One of the greatest modern Italian writer and teacher, he won the Nobel prize for literature in 1906.

Vittorio Alfieri

(1749-1803) Italian poet. His writings were based on the feelings of freedom and independence, which made him one of the great inspirators of the Italian resurrection (Risorgimento) as a nation.

Soldati class

Alpino

[alpine] A mountaineer soldier trained to fight on the Alps.

Artigliere

[Artilleryman] A gunner, a soldier who mans an artillery gun.

Ascari

[askari] A soldier (from Arab askari = soldier) from Ertrea and Somalia in the Italian colonial army.

Aviere

[airman] A soldier enlisted in the air force.

Bersagliere

(derived from bersaglio = target) A kind of soldier of the Italian army, born in 1836, with high mobility and good aim in shooting to the target. He was later equipped with bicycles, or motorcycles or other vehicles, becoming similar to the modern cavalry.

Camicia Nera

[black shirt] A soldier of a special fascist division.

Carabiniere

[carabineer] Originally a foot or mounted soldier armed with a carbine. Later he became a soldier with military police duty and law enforcement in the country regions.

Corazziere

[cuirassier] A soldier with a protective armour on his breast.

Fuciliere

[rifleman] A soldier armed with a rifle.

Geniere

[engineer] Member of the branch of an army that builds roads and bridges, control communications, etc.

Granatiere

[greanadier] A soldier armed with hand grenades.

Lanciere

[lancer] A horseman armed with a lance.

Bombardiere

[bombardier] A bomber-crew member who releases the bombs .

Corsaro

[corsair] A pirate, one who commits robbery on the high seas.

Legionario

[legionary] A soldier of a legion, the division of several thousands men in the armies of ancient Rome.

Mitragliere

[machine-gunner] A soldier manning a machine-gun.

Velite

A light soldier of ancient Rome, armed with a javelin and a sword. They composed one third of a legion.

Squadrista

One operating inside a fascist action squad. These squads were formed to fight the opposing political parties, sometimes adopting extreme measures. They were the armed arm of the fascist party.

Carrista

[tankman] A soldier operating inside a tank.

Premuda class

Premuda

Island of Yugoslavia, where on 18 Jun 1918 Italian MAS 15 commanded by Rizzo sunk the Austro-Hungarian battleship Szent István.