1927 – 1946 / An Italian ship on the South American run, the Augustus was also employed doing cruises during the hard times of the 1930s. She was converted into an aircraft carrier during World War II, but was damaged beyond repair in the conflict.
italian line
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1932 – 1944 / Built to be the pride of Italy, the Rex was a greyhound that managed to capture the Blue Riband. Her career was however stifled by the second world war, during which she was bombed and sunk by British aircraft.
1932 – 1950 / Another Italian showpiece, the Conte di Savoia was noted for her lavish interiors, which deviated from the modern trends of her era. Bombed and sunk during World War II, she was too heavily damaged to be salvaged, and was dismantled after the war.
1953 – 1956 / The pride of Italy and a great national symbol, the Andrea Doria is above all remembered for her tragic demise. After having collided with the Stockholm in the waters off Nantucket, the Italian ship sank with the loss of 46 lives.
1954 – 1982 / Running mate of the Andrea Doria, the Cristoforo Colombo was actually the slightly larger ship of the two. She was decidedly more fortunate as well, and stayed in Italian service well into the 1970s.
1960 – 1980 / Commissioned as a replacement for the lost Andrea Doria, the Leonardo da Vinci could be described a refined version of an already successful design. Unfortunately, she was destroyed by fire in 1980 and was sent to the breakers.
1965 – 1991 / The first of a stylish pair of Italian liners, the Michelangelo was built in a time when passengers preferred air travel. When failing to turn a profit, she was sold for use as an Iranian accommodation ship.
1965 – 1983 / Like her companion Michelangelo, the Raffaello came into service at a time when the demand for passenger ships was rapidly shrinking. Seemingly tightly bound to her older sister, she too was sold to the state of Iran, but was sadly destroyed during an air raid in the Iran-Iraq war.