The new Leonidas is the faithful and philological reconstruction of the legendary Ligurian leudo, symbol of the merchant tradition and coastal cabotage in the Mediterranean.

Built in the late 19th century in the Lavagna shipyards by the shipwright Lorenzo Figallo, known as “Loencin”, Leonidas represents excellence in Ligurian shipbuilding carpentry. The leudi were real work ships, considered the “trucks of the sea”, essential for commercial transport along the Mediterranean coast.

These vessels transported strategic materials for the economy of the time: wine, sand, slate, cheese and bulk goods. The Leonidas, in particular, was a wine leudo, capable of holding up to 250 hectolitres of wine stowed in large casks, ensuring stability and cargo capacity during long coastal crossings.

The leudi sailed all over the Mediterranean, touching ports in Liguria, Elba Island, Sardinia and - in some cases - as far as Malta, contributing decisively to trade between coastal communities.

In 1968, the Elban designer Sergio Spina found the remains of the Leonidas, abandoned and half-destroyed in a port of call on the island of Elba. From that carcass, he surveyed shapes and proportions, reconstructing the hull on paper and saving the technical memory of the vessel. However, his drawings were kept for years, waiting to be brought back to life.

In 2003, Ivan Zanchetta, a maritime history enthusiast and profound connoisseur of Latin sailing, met Spina with the intention of turning that project into reality. Out of that meeting came the reconstruction of the new Leonidas, which was built strictly respecting the original lines and tradition.

Today, the Leonidas is not just a historical replica, but a concrete act of cultural recovery: it brings back to sea an almost vanished ship type and recounts the great season of Mediterranean maritime trade, offering passengers the authentic experience of sailing on a piece of living history.

From 2026, Sailing San Paolo joins the fleet: lucky guests will be able to admire the beauty of the Maddalena Archipelago aboard this special sailing ship, experiencing a journey where history, tradition and the sea meet.