SS Andrea Doria was launched on June 16, 1951, with its maiden voyage starting on January 14, 1953, she reached New York on January 23, 1953. She was not only a simple oceanliner, but an ambassador for the italian art and culture. In the interior the walls were decorated by superb murals bearing the signature of the sicilian painter Salvatore Fiume, a renaissance expert. Eslwhere on the ship modern works by contemporary italian artists and craftsmen appear in dining rooms, bedrooms, bars and swimming pools, turning the Andrea Doria into a luxurious floating art gallery.
Andrea Doria, 29.100-ton, 1.241 passenger capacity, docked at New York.
Statue of Andrea Doria, celebrated 16th century genoese admiral, was made by sculptor Giovanni Paganin and stands before backdrop by Fiume.
Leonardo's "Mona Lisa" leans against Cellini's statue of Perseus. Since Mona Lisa now belongs to Louvre, Fiume showed Napoleon and wife admiring it.
Under porticos spectators admire Titian's Lavinia (left), now in Berlin museum, and Giorgione;s concert (right), in Florence, half hidden behind Rapahel's Marriage of the Virgin, in Milan. In background is statue of Caesar, in center is giant head of Archimedes, carved several centuries before Christ.
In sprightly stateroom hangs a painting of Madonna and Child. The walls, ceiling, bathroom fixtures and silk bedspreads are decorated with stars and signs of the zodiac. They are the work of Milan painter, Piero Fornasetti, who did them to "help traveler dream about the sky and classical myths".
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photos and documentation: LIFE Magazine (US) | Zetu Harrys collection
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