TAKE NOTE: this section is under updating, so you can see only a draft copy, to be implemented also with some information already avalilable in the Italian version of this web site. Many of the covers illustrating the National Italian Plan 1985-2004 are ALREADY available. Click on the active links, choosing the appropriate expedition year, in the following. We invite the readers to contact the web master (from the HOME page) if they want to send other information or corrections.
We must thanks Mark Jurisich and Fabio Vaccarezza who are developing this section.
Mark Jurisich has completed a detailed monograph on "Italian Antarctic
Expeditions 1957-1995". Now it is available, 
click
HERE to read a short comment and how to order it. (We suggest to use your
BACK button to come back to this page, after the vision of the Monograph
announcement).
°°°
If you wish to read some basic information on Antarctica click HERE.
If you wish to see the photos of some ships which were used in Italian expeditions, click HERE.
°°°
First
Italian expedition to Antarctica was made during IGY 1957-58 by the Institute of
Polar Geography under Professor Silvio Zavotti. (An article by Zavotti in UK
Polar Post No.85 lists the expeditions). Since 1957, and prior to their first
logistically independent expedition in the 1985-86 summer, support for Italian
activities in Antarctica was largely provided by NZ with expeditions centered at
Scott Base. The links are between Italy’s Alpine Club & National Research
Council (CNR) and the Antarctic Division DSIR of NZ.
1957/58
Franco
Faggioni commenced seismological measurements and observations at Scott Base for
12 months during IGY. Mail is not
recorded.
Istituto Geografico
Polare Missione Antartica
A
reconnaissance party of two scientists, Professor Silvio Zavotti & Commander
Georgio Costango. Vessel departed Italy in December 58 (covers are known
cancelled Civita Nova Marche 16 Dec & 27 Dec 58); expedition went to Bouvet
Island on a fishing boat named CM VI.
They
looked for a site for a permanent base, but after bad weather they only stayed
one day. 1500 covers were produced.
Carlo
Mauri visited the Dry Valleys and Scott Base as a guest of NZ, whilst there he
climbed Mt Terror. He also took
part in the ascent of Mt Erebus with several New Zealanders.
Club
Alpino Italiano (Alpine Club of Italy) Antarctic Expedition
Four members were invited to work at
Scott Base:
Carlo Marui
leader
Mauri
& Ollier worked with the Victoria University of Wellington and the NZ
Geological Survey parties in the Boomerang Range, while Manzoni & Piussi
worked at NZ Vanda Station in the Dry Valleys.
First Italian Antarctic Expedition of
the National Research Council
Two
members from the Genoa Institute of Oceanography also undertook an expedition
that year.
Professor
AG Segre
geologist, leader
C
Stocchino
meteorologist
1969/70
San Giuseppe Due
Expedition
Organized
by entrepreneur Giovanni Aimone Cat, who also built the 16m length sailing
vessel MV San Giuseppe Due with the help of the Italian Navy.
The expedition had six members, 3 crew and 3 expeditioners:
G
Martuscelli navigator
San
Giuseppe Due departed Anzio (Rome) on 27 Jun 69 and sailed via Gibraltar, Las
Palmas, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Mar Del Plata,
Puerto Madrin, Port Stanley and Ushuaia finally arriving at Decepcion Island on
31 Dec 69 where they met up with US research vessel RV Hero.
San
Giuseppe Due then departed Decepcion Island on 19 Jan 70 for Argentine Antarctic
base Almirante Brown where she stayed 22-25 Jan, then she went to USA Palmer
Station 25-28 Jan and returned to Almirante Brown to wait for good weather to
cross the Drake Passage. Some of the crew abandoned ship at Almirante Brown and
flew home. The Italian Navy then provided two navigators F Zarattini & S Di
Mauro and aircraft pilot D Trentin who all arrived on the icebreaker ARA General
San Martin on 19 Feb and were transferred aboard. San Giuseppe
Due then sailed into Port Stanley on 4 Mar 70 and finally returned to
Anzio on 21 Nov 70.
The
only known covers from the voyage (perhaps 10 according to the commander of the
vessel) are on light grey paper impressed in maroon with “S.Giuseppe Due /
Roma”.
1972/73
Dr
M Manzoni and Prof Carlo Stocchino of the Institute of Oceanography at Genoa
returned to Scott Base to prepare for future activities.
1973/74
Second Italian Antarctic Expedition of
the National Research Council
Five
members departed Italy on 22 Nov 73 on board San Giuseppe Due, bound for NZ:
Professor
Aldo Segre leader, geologist, Messina University
Dr
Marcello Manzoni paleomagnetist, CNR Marine
Geology Laboratory
Dr
Carlo Stocchino meteorologist, CNR Physical
Atmosphere Institute
Clemente
Maffei mountaineer
Ignazio
Piussi mountaineer, Club Alpino Italiano
They
arrived at Lyttelton on ………., departed on
………….. and arrived at Scott Base on …………. where they were
joined by Colin Monteath from the NZ Dept of Scientific & Industrial
Research. The party undertook research in South Victoria Land around Vanda
Station in the Dry Valleys. About 1000 covers were produced.
Naval Institute of Naples Antarctic
Expedition
That
same year there was another voyage of the San Giuseppe Due. Master was Captain
Giovanni Aimone Cat plus a crew of 4 sub officers from the Italian Navy:
Mario
Camilli
2nd Chief Engineer
Giovanni
Federici
Sergeant Engineer
Tito
Mancini
Sergeant Navigator
Ginacarlo
Fede
Sergeant Radioman
Dario
Trentin
aircraft pilot joined at Port Stanley
They
undertook research for the Naval Institute of Naples and the Italian Shipping
Institute. Vessel departed Torre del Greco Naples on 1 Jul 73, visited La
Maddalena Italy, Gibraltar, Las Palmas Spain, Salt Island Portugal, Recife,
Santos, Montevideo, Buenos Aires 7 Nov, Mar Del Plata Argentine, Puerto Madryn
Argentine, Port Stanley Falklands 27 Nov (late mail cancelled Port Stanley 19
Dec 73), Ushuaia 25-31 Dec, Decepcion Island 4 Jan 74, Port Lockroy 12 Jan, USA
Palmer Station 14 Jan, BAT Argentine Islands 17-25 Jan, Almirante Brown 25 Jan,
Decepcion Island 1 Feb, Orcadas 9 Feb, Signy Island 11 Feb, South Orkneys,
Grytviken South Georgia 21 Feb where they met up with RRS Bransfield, departed
South Georgia 18 Mar, South Sandwich Is, Cape Town, St Helena 14 April,
Ascension, Cape Verde Portugal, Mauritania, Las Palmas Spain, Gibraltar,
returning to Anzio Rome on 27 June 74.
Possibly 1500 covers were produced.
there
was a 15 man expedition led by Professor Renato Cepparo in the Norwegian vessel
Rig Mate. Party was made up of
climbers and scientists; one group stayed on King George Island, another group
landed on Wiencke Island to climb mountains.
Third Italian Antarctic Expedition of
the National Research Council
The
3rd CNR team operated in the Trans Antarctic Mountains during
November and December 1976. The party comprised four Italian and one NZ DSIR
members:
Prof Carlo Stocchino
leader,
W Bonatti
field assistant,
The
party were in the Wright Valley near Vanda Station.
1977-78
A party of five lead by Cdr.Flavio Barbiero aboard an
inflatable boat attempted to cross the Drake Passage to gain King George Island.
Flavio Barbiero was deputy leader with Cepparo
expedition and discovered, on the King George Is. remains of a fossilized forest.
No mail is recorded from this travel. But in Milan on
the february 17,1978 was used a special souvenir postmark (JPEG: BARBIERO)
No further details are available about this expedition.
1982/83
In
Nov 82 Dr M Manoni and Professor Carlo Stocchino visited Scott Base to prepare
for future activities.
1984/85
Dr
M Manoni and Professor Carlo Stocchino visited Hallett Station to prepare for
future activities.
1985/86 1° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE)
See
also the photos and maps of Baya Terra Nova Base and Dome C, clicking
HERE.
Helicopters
NZ provided support for MV Polar Queen,
under Capt
M Aklestad.
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Cape Washington on 28 Dec 85
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Mt Melbourne on 31 Dec 85
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Miller Nunatak on 1 Jan 86
Vessel
returned to Lyttelton on 27 Feb 86.
1986/87
Vessel
MS Finnpolaris departed Genoa on 15 Oct 86 to locate a site for a permanent
station in Antarctica. The vessel visited Lyttelton 3 Dec 86 then went to Scott
Base. Mail with Finnpolaris date cachets 19 Dec 86 or 21 Dec 86 may be the dates
of arrival and departure at Scott Base. Finnpolaris was then in Lyttelton port
on 5 Jan 87. Helicopters NZ provided support for transit of team from Scott Base
to Terra Nova Bay camp site where the base was established and for further
exploration.
flight
Gerlache Bay to Priestley Glacier on 25 Dec 86
flight
Gerlache Bay to Mt Melbourne on 25 Dec 86
flight
Terra Nova to Cape King on 11 Jan 87
About
200 items were flown to Scott Base on 20 Jan 87 and mailed from there that day.
Some mail with date cachet MS Finnpolaris 26 Feb 87 has an arrival cancel Lyttelton 26 Feb 87,
possibly brought back on Soviet vessel Profesor Vize, or Operation Deep Freeze
vessel MV Green Wave.
Two
researchers from the Instituto di Fisica dell ’Atmosfera, Dall ‘Oglio de
Bernardis, left the Terra Nova base camp in November 86 for 3 months searching
for station sites for erection of an astronomical telescope. No mail is recorded
from the journey.
There
was a large quantity of mail posted at Lyttelton on 2 & 3 March 87, shortly
after MS Finnpolaris reached there. Vessel arrived back in Genoa port on 8 April
87.
1987/88 3°
expedition: (LINK
IS ACTIVE)
MS
Finnpolaris arrived in Lyttelton on 7 Dec 87. Vessel arrived at Scott Base on 21
Dec 87. Helicopters NZ provided support. MS
Finnpolaris was at Lyttelton on 6 Jan 88. Finnpolaris
departed Terra Nova Bay on 19 Feb 88 and returned to Lyttelton on 29 Feb 88.
flight
MS Finnpolaris to Cape Hallett on 16 Dec 87
flight
MS Finnpolaris 72°S 179°W for Ice Reece (reconnaissance) on 18 Dec 87
flight
MS Finnpolaris for Ice Reece (reconnaissance)72°S on 19 Dec 87
flight
MV Polar Queen to Terra Nova on 12 Jan 88
1988/89 4°
expedition: (LINK
IS ACTIVE)
SPV
Barken arrived at Lyttelton on 1 Dec 88. SPV
Barken was at Terra Nova Bay on 12 Dec 88.
Helicopters NZ provided support.
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Tucker Glacier on 7 Jan 89
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Priestley Glacier on 7 Jan 89
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Calfee Nunatak on 11 Jan 89
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Larson Glacier on 12 Jan 89
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Cape Hallett on 14 Jan 89
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Aviator Glacier on 15 Jan 89
flight
Terra Nova Bay to Priestley Glacier on 17 Jan 89
flight
Terra Nova Bay to David Glacier on 18 Jan 89
Mail
with MV Barken cachets is cancelled
at Lyttelton on 24 Jan 89, it may be the return date for the vessel.
NR
Ogs Explora returned to
Lyttelton on 28 Feb 89. Most mail is cancelled Lyttelton 1-3 Mar 89. Some
cacheted covers are known cancelled San Francisco 9 Mar 89, so it may have also
transited there on the way back.
1989/90 5°
expedition: (LINK
IS ACTIVE)
MV
Cariboo arrived Lyttelton 23
Nov 89. Some MV Cariboo cacheted
covers are known cancelled Christchurch 7 Feb 90.
Some
SPV Barken covers are cancelled at
Scott Base on 6 Feb 90.
Some
Ogs Explora cacheted covers are known cancelled Christchurch 16 Feb 90. Vessel
returned to Lyttelton 1 Mar 90.
1990/91 6°
expedition:
M/n
Italica arrived at Scott Base on 28 Jan 91.
Vessel returned to Lyttelton 4 Mar 91.
Helicopters
NZ provided support.
flight
McMurdo to Terra Nova Bay “First Landing at Italian Station on 13 Nov 1990.
1991/92
7° expedition: (LINK
IS ACTIVE)
M/n
Italica arrived at Scott Base on 10 Jan 92.
Vessel returned to Lyttelton
1992/93
8° expedition: (LINK
IS ACTIVE)
M/n
Italica (?) Vessel
returned to Lyttelton on 16 Mar 93.
1993/94
1994/95 10°
expedition:
M/n
Italica was at Lyttelton on 4 Jan 95.
1995/96 11°
expedition: (LINK
IS ACTIVE)
M/n
Italica was at Lyttelton 20 Feb 96.
Il
Capo Spedizione Antonino Cucinotta
Terra
Nova Bay Penguin Post
1996/1997 12°expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE)
1997/1998 13° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE)
1998/1999 14° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE)
1999/2000 15° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE)
2000/2001 16° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE) From 23rd of October 2000 to 27th February 2001.
2001/2002 17° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE) From the 15th of October 2001 to the 28th of February 2002.
2002/2003 18° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE) From October 2002 to February 2003
2003/2004 19° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE) From October 2003 to 15th March 2004 then to Italy (foreseen 18th May 2004).
2004/2005 20° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE) From October 2004 to 27th February 2005 then to Italy
2005/2006 21° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE) From the 13 of October 2005 to 9th November 2006, in two different periods.
2006/2007 22° expedition: (LINK IS ACTIVE) From the 16 of October 2005 to 3 February 2007, in two different periods and loctions: M. Zucchelli base and Concordia dome C.
References:
Marenga,
A. News from Italy; Ice Cap News, p163,
Sept-Oct 1973.
Marenga,
A. The Second Italian Antarctic Expedition
of the National Research Council; Ice Cap News, Vol .., p30, 1974.
Marenga,
A. The Antarctic Voyages of the Motor
Vessel ‘San Giuseppe Due’; Ice Cap News Vol 21, pp97-98, pp142-143, p165,
1976.
We thank very much Mr. Steven McLachlan who gave us the possibility to show his web sites:
on the Mario Zucchelli Station (ex baia TerraNova) at: http://www.newzeal.com/theme/bases/IT/zucchelli.htm
on Italian-French joint station Concordia at: http://www.newzeal.com/theme/bases/IT/concordia.htm
on Italian vessel ITALICA at: http://www.newzeal.com/steve/Ships/italica.htm
Useful links:
We invite the collctors and Atarctica lovers to visit a very nice web site on the Ross Dependency (New Zealand), full of interesting covers:
http://www.100megsfree3.com/glaw/scott/index.html
See also the Italian section of his website at:
http://www.cifr.it/mi-geoescielista.htm
and Italian Philatelic FORUM: topic on Antarctic base:
http://forum.filateliaefrancobolli.it/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=439
last update on the 19th of Septemebr 2007
or