the story of
NAVE MINCIO!
A story that spans more than a century!
1904
Built in 1904 in the Baccigalupo shipyard in Genoa and 26 metres long,
it originally had a 200 cv steam engine.
In its early life when the coast road had not yet been built, MINCIO was an essential means of goods transport on Lake Garda. Requisitioned in 1915 by the Royal Navy it was armed with three cannons of 57 mm and 4 Fiat 14 machine guns.
The crew, composed of civilians, was militarised and placed under the command of the naval officers. Its main base was in Peschiera del Garda and forward operating base in Malcesine, in the Baia di Sogno, near the Italo – Austrian/Hungarian border. During the First World War the Mincio steamer was put into service to patrol the border, its cannons were used to fire against the slopes of Monte Altissimo.
1918
At the end of the First World War it became part of the northern Italian naval fleet, towing the barges transporting goods leaving from the main ports of Peschiera del Garda and Desenzano, key junctions of the railway network.
1930
In the '30s it was used to tow out to the middle of the Lake the hydroplanes belonging to the High Speed Unit of Desenzano who took part in the famous Coppa Schneider with their star pilots. The Mincio, appropriately modified, was used by divers to recover the hydroplane and the body of the pilot Tommaso Dal Molin, which sank during a speed record attempt in 1933.
1939 - 1945
During the Second World War it stood out for its rescue and
and towing of the Zanardelli steamer, machine-gunned by
the Allies in Campione left without its Commander and Pilot,
killed in the attack.
On the 8 September 1943 it was sunk in the port of Riva del Garda
by its own crew to save it from the mining already decided by the Germans; after which it was easily salvaged intact and used
in the rescue operations of the Italia steamer sunk
at Sirmione by the Allies.
1955 - 1960
1960 - 1970
Nel 1960 è stata ceduta dalla Società di Navigazione del Garda al to the Volunteers Group of the Riva Fire Brigade which used it as a support base for the Fire Brigade Diving School.
Negli anni ’70 la NAVE MINCIO è ceduta a privati che ne modificano and its superstructure modified to create the terrace deck.
1990 - today
Experience the history of the Mincio with us!
