Vincenzo Fondacaro (3 March 1844 – 1893) was an Italian

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

who crossed the

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from

Montevideo Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...

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to Las Palmas,

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on a boat that he made himself.

Early life

Fondacaro was born in

Bagnara Calabra Bagnara Calabra (or simply Bagnara) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Calabria in Calabria, southern Italy. It is located in the hills facing the Tyrrhenian Sea on the southern tip of the region, about southwest of Catanza ...

from a working-class family. He started his career by joining the merchant navy. After working in the field for fifteen years, Fondacaro was promoted to Navy Officer Captain in the Royal Navy of Italy on 24 May 1876.

Voyages

Following the Battle of Lissa, Fondacaro longed to cross the Atlantic Ocean from Montevideo to Las Palmas on a boat designed by him. The boat, called "Leone di Caprera" in honour of

Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Maria Garibaldi ( , ;In his native Ligurian language, he is known as ''Gioxeppe Gaibado''. In his particular Niçard dialect of Ligurian, he was known as ''Jousé'' or ''Josep''. 4 July 1807 – 2 June 1882) was an Italian general, patr ...

, measured approximately 9m x 2.30m x 1.60m and weighed 3 tonnes. Fondacaro's crew included Pietro Zoccoli and Orlando Grassoni. On 19 September 1880 the "Leone di Caprera" set off from Montevideo. On 10 February 1881, the crew reached Castello di Farro. On 26 May 1881, the boat was towed to

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

by an English vessel. Today, the "Leone di Caprera" can still be seen at the

Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci Museo Nazionale Scienza e Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milan, dedicated to painter and scientist Leonardo da Vinci, is the largest science and technology museum in Italy. It was opened on 5 February 1953 and inaugurated by Prime Minister Alci ...

in Milan. On 30 May 1893, Fondacaro crossed the Atlantic again in a boat named "Cesare Cantù". This journey took him from Buenos Aires to Chicago. Fondacaro took Vincenzo Galasso, Vincenzo Sciplini, and Vincenzo Carrisi on the trip with him, forming the crew. When they arrived in Chicago, bystanders reportedly greeted them with a standing ovation. However, when they attempted to return to Buenos Aires, Fondacaro and his crew disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fondacaro, Vincenzo 1844 births 1893 deaths People from Bagnara Calabra Italian sailors