SS Cristoforo Colombo

SS Cristoforo Colombo

Company type	Ocean liner
Industry	Maritime transport
Founded	May 1953 (1953-05)
Headquarters	Genoa , Italy
Products	Passenger ship services

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SS Cristoforo Colombo (Italian pronunciation: [kriˈstɔːforo koˈlombo]) was an Italian-built ocean liner from the 1950s and served as the sister ship to the SS Andrea Doria.

Origins and construction

File:SS Cristoforo Colombo.jpg

Vintage postcard depicting the Cristoforo Colombo

The impact of World War II was severe for the Italian Line, resulting in the loss of their two largest and most modern transatlantic liners, the SS Rex and the SS Conte di Savoia. In response, the company opted to commission mid-sized vessels that emphasized luxury, comfort, and elegance.

Constructed at the Ansaldo Shipyards in Genoa, both the Andrea Doria and her sister ship Cristoforo Colombo were produced. The Andrea Doria was launched in 1951 and undertook her first voyage in January 1953. The Cristoforo Colombo followed with a launch date in May 1953 and commenced service in July 1954. Notably, the Cristoforo Colombo was marginally larger than the Andrea Doria, making her the largest merchant vessel operated by Italy at that time.

Service with Italian Line

File:Cristoforo Colombo 1voyage.jpg

'Cristoforo Colombo' leaving Genoa on her inaugural journey

After the tragic sinking of the Andrea Doria in 1956 due to a collision with the MS Stockholm, the Cristoforo Colombo continued solo operations until 1960, when she was joined by the replacement vessel for the Andrea Doria, the SS Leonardo da Vinci.

In early 1964, the Cristoforo Colombo transported Michelangelo's Pietà from the Vatican City to the 1964 New York World's Fair. To protect this masterpiece during transit, it was secured inside a crate cushioned with plastic foam and placed on a rubber base within the first-class swimming pool—an area deemed safest against damage. The crate was designed to float free if the ship sank, being attached only by easily detachable snap hooks for emergency release. During loading, the liner was stationed in dry dock to prevent movement that might harm the artwork. Upon arrival in New York, specialized heavy-lift cranes transferred the crate onto a barge alongside.

Together with Leonardo da Vinci, the Cristoforo Colombo served as flagship vessels for Italian Line’s North Atlantic routes until 1965, when newer liners like SS Michelangelo and SS Raffaello entered operationTemplate:Fix/category. In 1966, her hull received a full repaint aligning with Italian Line’s updated livery that abandoned traditional black hulls. Throughout her career, she transported numerous postwar Italian immigrants to North America, docking at Halifax and New York during an era marking the end of major ocean liner immigration. On March 30, 1971, she became the final ship to deliver immigrants to Canada's historic Pier 21 immigration terminal before its closure.

By 1973, she was reassigned from transatlantic service to routes connecting Genoa, Barcelona, Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, and Buenos Aires. This shift replaced the MS Giulio Cesare, which had encountered significant mechanical difficulties. The South American lines typically operated older vessels under less stringent maintenance standards.

Final years

In 1977, ownership transferred from Italian Line to Venezuela’s government. Thereafter renamed Residencias Cristóbal Colón, she functioned as housing for workers involved in constructing Ciudad Guayana. Arriving at Puerto Ordaz in September of that year, she was moored on the Orinoco River.

The vessel changed hands again in 1981 when sold for scrapping to Taiwanese breakers. However, upon reaching Kaohsiung, she was redirected to Hong Kong amid hopes for refurbishment and return to service. Due to high operational expenses—stemming from design assumptions tied to Italian subsidies—and deterioration after Venezuelan use, these plans were abandoned. Subsequently, she was taken back to Kaohsiung during autumn 1982 and dismantled by early 1983.

In popular culture

The Cristoforo Colombo features notably in Warner Brothers’ 1962 film Rome Adventure, starring Suzanne Pleshette, Troy Donahue, and Rossano Brazzi. Additionally, her name is clearly visible during dock scenes in Athens at the start of Henri Verneuil’s 1971 movie The Burglars (original French title: "Le Casse").