Italian Line

Italian Line

Founded	1932
Defunct	2002
Successor	CP Ships
Headquarters	Genoa, Italy

Operating under the name Italian Line and from 1992 onward as Italia Line, officially registered as Italia di Navigazione S.p.A., the company provided scheduled transatlantic passenger services linking Italy with the United States and South America. In the late 1960s, its operations shifted towards cruise services, before broadening into worldwide freight transportation starting in 1981.

History

Established in 1932 through a government-supported amalgamation of Genoa’s Navigazione Generale Italiana (NGI), Turin’s Lloyd Sabaudo, and Trieste’s Cosulich STN, the firm unified numerous prominent vessels such as , , , , , , , , and . That same year, two newly built liners were introduced: —recipient of the Blue Riband in 1933—and .

Throughout World War II, the fleet suffered heavy losses, including ships like Rex and Conte di Savoia. Several vessels were captured by the United States and repurposed as troop transports; among these, four survived the conflict: Conte Biancamano, Conte Grande, Saturnia, and Vulcania.

Commercial operations recommenced in 1947 under the name Società di navigazione Italia. Alongside returning ships, two new liners entered service: launched in 1953 and in 1954. The flagship Andrea Doria tragically sank following a collision near Nantucket in 1956, resulting in an estimated 46 to 55 passenger deaths. Its successor, , debuted in 1960 featuring a larger design with advanced technical features.

Despite the rise of air travel during the late 1950s, demand for ocean liners on the North Atlantic route remained steady. To meet this, Italian Line commissioned two new vessels: and . However, their launch was postponed until 1965, and due to delayed entry combined with design limitations that hindered cruise versatility, these ships struggled to achieve profitability.

The company continued transatlantic crossings despite incurring substantial losses until retiring Leonardo da Vinci in 1976; prior to this, both Michelangelo and Raffaello were sold off in 1975. The Cristoforo Colombo was also withdrawn from service at that time.

I.C.I. - Italia Crociere Internazionali

Between 1977 and 1978, the Leonardo da Vinci was converted for cruise use but was soon retired due to elevated fuel expenses. In 1979 and 1980, Italian Line operated two former Lloyd Triestino vessels, and , as cruise ships; however, these ventures failed to generate profits. The Ausonia was also briefly chartered under this cruise brand.

Facing persistent financial difficulties in cruising, Italian Line redirected its efforts toward freight shipping, running container routes connecting the Mediterranean, the west coast of North America, and Central and South America, transporting approximately TEUs by 2001.

Privatization occurred in 1998 when ownership transferred to d'Amico Società di Navigazione. In August 2002, it was acquired by CP Ships. The Italian Line brand was discontinued in 2005 following CP's adoption of a unified brand strategy. Subsequently, CP Ships was purchased by TUI AG later that year and merged with Hapag-Lloyd in mid-2006.

Passenger ships

... [table continues with similar format for remaining vessels]

Image	Year Built	Name	Tonnage	Shipbuilder	Years Operated	Remarks
	1908	SS Tel Aviv	08,312 GRT8,312 GRT	Russell & Co., Scotland	1932–1934	Previously operated by Cosulich Line; dismantled in 1934
	1917	SS Colombo	12,003 GRT	Palmer S&E Co Ltd, Jarrow on Tyne	1932–1941	Converted for passenger use; scuttled at Massawa in 1941
	1922	SS Giulio Cesare	21,848 GRT	Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, UK	1932–1937	Transferred to Lloyd Triestino service
	1923	SS Conte Verde	18,765 GRT	William Beardmore & Co., Scotland	1932–1940
	1923	SS Duilio	24,281 GRT	Ansaldo Shipyards, Italy	1932–1937	Later transferred to Lloyd Triestino; scrapped in 1948
	1925	SS Conte Biancamano	24,416 GRT	William Beardmore & Co., Scotland	1932–1940 1947–1960
	1926	SS Roma	32,583 GRT	Ansaldo Shipyards, Italy	1932–1939

Container vessels

Year Built	Vessel Name	Gross Tonnage	TEU Capacity	Construction Yard	IMO Number	Call Sign	Registry Flag	Remarks/Current Status
1985	Aquitania	17,702 GT	Template:TEU	Stocznia Szczecinska S.A., Poland	8300975	HPUE	Panama	Chartered in 1991, acquired in 1993 from Cyprus registry
1989	Cristoforo Colombo	32,630 GT	Template:TEU	Fincantieri-Cantieri Navali Italiani S.p.A., Italy	8618449	ICYS	Italy	Ownership transferred to d'Amico Shipping Italia in 2002
1989	Amerigo Vespucci	32,630 GT	Template:TEU	Fincantieri, Italy	8618451	ICBA	Italy	Transferred to d'Amico Shipping Italia in 2002
1991	S. Caboto	15,783 GT	Template:TEU	Fincantieri, Italy	8618413	ICMS	Italy	Ownership passed to d'Amico Shipping Italia in 2002
1992	California	17,123 GT	Template:TEU	Naikai Zosen Corp., Japan	8901743	ICFC	Italy	Transferred to d'Amico Shipping Italia in 2002
1994	Cielo del Cile	15,778 GT	Template:TEU	Nordseewerke, Germany	9046253	ELVB3	Liberia	Ownership moved to d'Amico Shipping Italia in 2002
1997	Dollart Trader	16,165 GT	Template:TEU	MTW Schiffswerft GmbH, Germany	9162356	V2OD5	Antigua & Barbuda	Transferred to d'Amico Shipping Italia in 2002
1998	Cielo di San Francisco	25,359 GT	Template:TEU	Volkswerft Stralsund GmbH, Germany	9153408	DGZO	Germany	Ownership shifted to d'Amico Shipping Italia in 2002

• GT = gross tonnage

External links

• Fleet roster of Società Italia Flotte Riuniti / Italia Società Anonima di Navigazione – TheShipsList, archived edition accessible
• Brochures from the Italian Line – Maritime Timetable images
• Overview of Italian Line routes and vessels during the 1950s–70s – The Last Ocean Liners