PADDLE STEAMERS
Paddle Steamers I World of Ships I 65
By then Italia and the larger Lombardia
(1908) had been withdrawn, before Piemonte
was out of service from 1961 to 1965 during
a lengthy renovation, when the upper after
deck was enclosed. The vessel had another
sojourn in the Ancona shipyard in 1973-1974
for refurbishment, which included the fitting
of a new boiler. After enjoying a spell in the
spotlight in a Martini advertising campaign
on British TV, Piemonte was on the Ancona-
Locarno route in 1975 and for the following two
summers offered non-landing lunch cruises
from Locarno on several days each week.
After a trip in October 2001, she was slipped
for necessary attentions to her hull and paddle
wheels, but work progressed slowly due to
lack of money and not until 2006 was there a
return to service. Still maintained in excellent
condition, Piemonte now spends most of her
time lying in Ancona, with only occasional
special sailings or charters, although July
2017 included a well-publicised cruise from
Ancona to the upper lake. Lombardia is also
at Ancona, minus her engine and boiler,
operating as a restaurant.RIGHT Lombardia, built in 1908, sailed until 1958
and is seen in the role she has taken since 1969,
serving as a restaurant in Ancona, minus her engine
and boiler. (Russell Plummer)LAKE GARDA V ESSELS
ABOVE Lake Garda steamers G.Zanardelli
and Italia at Peschiera. (Chris Miles)ABOVE A view from 2013 of G.Zanardelli, ten years after
steam power gave way to diesel.BELOW G.Zanardelli saw often spasmodic service in
her final steam-powered years until a switch to diesel
power in 1983.BELOW Italia, approaching Limone, has been
powered by Hagglunds diesels coupled to
Galdabini pumps since the mid-1970s.08 Paddlers_Hungary_NL.indd 65 17/04/2018 12:16