On 1 August the stunning Italian Navy sailing training ship, the Palinuro, will sail into the Grand Harbour, where it will be berthed at Pinto Wharf 3 until the early morning of 5 August.

The Valletta port visit forms part of the 53^rd Chief Petty Officer (CPO) cadet training campaign of the Italian Navy's academy in Taranto. The cadets commenced their journey on 25 July with a visit to the Italian port of Brindisi. After Malta, the ship will set sail for Greece, Turkey and then Cyprus before heading back to Italy, specifically to the Tuscan port of Portoferraio.

The training campaign is an essential activity in the cadets' education, complementing the academic side of their studies. Over the journey, cadets will be exposed for the first time to the full experience of the maritime world in order to master their profession in the Navy and to be acquainted to the marine environment.

While the ship is at sea, the cadets are trained in maritime navigation and seamanship sciences - in the process developing an esprit de corps, personnel management skills and the indispensable principles, ethos and traditions of the Italian Navy.

The general public will be able to visit the ship on:

1 August: between 4pm and 7pm;

2 August: between 10am and 12pm, and between 4pm and 6pm;

3 August: between 10am and 12pm, and between 4pm and 7pm;

4 August: between 4pm and 7pm