IT WAS IN 1866.WHEN THE ITALIAN GOVERMENT GRANTED THEM IMPORTANT HARBOUR DUES THAT THE FOUR ORLANDO BROTHERS LUIGI,PAOLO,GIUSEPPE AND SALVATORE, GREAT PATRIOTS,BUSINESSMEN AND DARING ENTREPRENEURS ,STARTED THE VENTURE OF THE NOW WELL KNOWN "F.LLI ORLANDO" SHIPYARD.
THE FIRST SHIP LAUNCHED BY THE SHIPYARD "F.LLI ORLANDO"WAS THE IRONCLAD WARSHIP "CONTE VERDE". ON APRIL 29th,1867;BUT THE MOST DIFFICULT, MOST IMPORTANT AND AT THE SAME TIME ,MOST FAMOUS LAUNCHING OF THE SHIPYARD TOOK PLACE ON MARCH THE 17th,1883;ON THAT DAY THE "F.LLI ORLANDO"SHIPYARD LAUNCHED THE IRANCLAD WARSHIP "LEPANTO", A 15.654 TON DISPLACEMENT SHIP THAT GRANTED THE ORLANDO BROTHERS FAME ALL OVER THE WORLD.
OTHER MILESTONES IN THE HISTORY OF THE LEGHORN SHIPYARD ARE THE LAUNCHING, ON NOVEMBER THE 21st,1937 OF THE SOVIET CRUISER "TASHKENT" WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE FASTEST WARSHIP OF THAT ERA,THIS SHIP OF 2.875 TON DISPLACEMENT, 140 m LONG, REACHED 44.5 KNOTS RATE DURING SEA TRIALS. ON JUNE THE 26th,1960, THE TURBO-TANK "ANTONIETTA FASSIO",36.200 TSL,THE LARGEST SHIP EVER BUILT IN LEGHORN, WAS LAUNCHED FROM THE SLIPWAY "MOROSINI" WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEING UPGRADED AND WIL BE RE-OPENED SOON. OVER THE PAST 130 YEARS OF NAVAL AND INDUSTRIAL HISTORY, THE "ORLANDO" SHIPYARD HAS ACCOMPLISHED OVER 350 WORKS.
FROM 1975,THE "ORLANDO " SHIPYARD IS PROVIDED WITH A DRY-DOCK WHICH CAN HOUSE SHIPS OF UP TO 300.000 TPL FOR REPAIR AND REFURBISHMENT. THIS FEATURE HAS TAKEN THE " ORLANDO " SHIPYARD TO BE ABREAST OF THE TAMES IN SHIP REPAIR. THE PAST YEAR (1996) HAS WITNESSED 70 REPAIRING OPERATIONS OF WHICH 32 ON SHIPS FLYING A FOREIGN FLAG WITH AN YEARLY TURNOVER OF ABOUT TWENTY MILLIONS USD.
AT PRESENT, THE MANAGEMENT OF THE "F.LLI ORLENDO " SHIPYARD IS BEING RUN BY A CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY FORMED BY THE EMPLOYEES OF THE SHIPYARD THEMSELVES, WHO BROUGHT OUT THE PLANT FROM FINCENTIERI CNI SpA OF THE IRI GROUP. STARTING A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX INDUSTRIAL FIELDS. THE FIRST SHIP BUILT BY THE NEW COMPANY IS THE M/C MONTEBELLO, LAUNCED ON JAN 11,1997 (FOR THE COMPAGNIA ITALIANA MARITTIMA FLUVIALE DI NAVIGAZIONE SpA - SAVONA). THIP SHIP, HAS A 135 M LONG AND 20,40 M WIDE DOUBLE HULL , A D.W.T. OF ABOUT 14.000 TON AND A SPEED OF 13.5 KNOTS.
CURRENTLY, THE COMPANY, WHICH HAS BECOME OPERATIVE ON JAN 1st 1996 WITH A STAFF OF 360, IS WORKING ON 5 SHIPS OF THE SAME TYPE BUT WITH A STAINLESS STEEL DOUBLE HULL. MOREOVER WORKS AT SLIPWAY "MOROSINI" ARE ABOUT TO START. THE NEW SLIPWAY WILL ALLOW THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHIPS UP TO 200 m LONG AND 40.000 D.W.T.
TO WIDEN THE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES OT THE SHIPYARD, THE COMPANY HAS DECIDED TO DEDICATE A SECTION OF THE WORKS TO THE REPAIR , MAINTENANCE AND RECOVERY OF 20 TO 50 m PLEASURE CRAFTS. TO THIS END THE SHIPYARD IS OUTFITTING A 200 m LONG DOCK INSIDE THE ANCIENT "PORTO MEDICEO". THE OPENING OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED DOCK WILL TAKE PLACE IN APRIL DURING THE 14th TROPHY ACCADEMIA NAVALE E CITTA' DI LIVORNO.