Stone-Ideas.com 
A “Villaggio Italia” (Italian Village) is being set up in ports around the world where the training sailing ship stops
In all countries, the navy maintains magnificent sailing training ships on which the prospective officers learn about the hard life on board and the power of the oceans. Italy is now putting its jewel, the “Amerigo Vespucci”, at the economy‘s service: Marmomac and Sol2Expo trade fairs will be promoted in the port of Doha. Sol2Expo has its focus on olive oil and derivatives such as organic cosmetics.
The Amerigo Vespucci‘s current world tour lasts from July 01, 2023 to February 2025 with touches in 30 ports in 28 countries on five continents. Stops with economical missions include Los Angeles, Tokyo, Darwin, Singapore, and Mumbai. From December 17 to 22, 2024, the ship will be in Doha. It will then visit Abu Dhabi and Jeddah.
Adolfo Rebughini, General Manager of Veronafiere, commented on the economic interest of Marmomac and the stone sector in the mission: “Qatar, with its rapidly growing economy, offers an ideal context to enhance the natural stone and olive oil supply chain, focusing on education and the promotion of the culture and quality that have always set us apart.“ Doha is the country‘s capital.
A temporary “Villaggio Italia” (Italian Village) is be set up at the economical stops on the world tour. These are pavilions in which cultural and culinary events take place and products from Italy are displayed.
On the subject of natural stone, there are so-called “master classes” in Doha with lectures on the special know-how of Italian stone companies. The speaker in Doha is researcher and influencer Grazia Signori, who was a speaker at Marmomac 2024: “In her speech, Signori will discuss the scientific and technical aspects associated with the applications of Italian natural stone materials in major architectural projects,“ as said on a webpage of Veronafiere.
Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere, also names the other contributors who had to come together for the project: “Special thanks must go to the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the ITA Trade Agency.“
Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence in 1454 and worked for the Medici banking house in Seville. Until he died in 1512, he undertook numerous expeditions to the Atlantic coast of the newly discovered continent of the Southern hemisphere. The continent got its name after the Italian by Martin Waldseemüller in the first world map of 1507.
Twist of fate: although Christopher Columbus was the first European to reach what is now the Bahamas in October 1492, he held on throughout his life to the misconception that these were islands off the coast of India. He had sought the way to Asia in a westerly direction but miscalculated by a few thousand miles. Which is why these islands are still called the West Indies today.
Photos: Veronafiere
(19.12.2024, USA; 12.19.2024)