January is traditionally a time for new beginnings, but for us here at Navigazione, above all, it symbolises continuity. We will usher in 2026 with a comeback steeped in history: the new year will fi nd the Piemonte – the oldest steamship in Italy – sailing the waters of Lake Maggiore once again. It is a living symbol of our nautical heritage and of a beauty that, on Italy’s great lakes, will always remain a shared treasure, accessible to everyone. The year 2025 draws to a close with some record-breaking achievements: more than 12 million passengers carried and over 650,000 vehicles transported. A team of more than 600 professionals committed to ensuring a reliable service, safety, and careful maintenance every day, are the beating heart that drives these results. Over the past year, we have made the travel experience smoother thanks to new digital tools and bold investments in improving the accessibility of our fl eet. We take particular pride in our sustainability strategy: we have successfully tested the use of a renewable biofuel on earlier-generation engines. By refurbishing rather than decommissioning these vessels, we have combined the protection of public resources with immediate benefits for the air quality of the communities we serve.
The year ahead, 2026, will be just as ambitious, bringing our lakes onto the world stage. We will play a leading role in the Winter Olympics, hosting the evocative passage of the Olympic torch on Lake Maggiore and Lake Como. We will also celebrate 200 years of navigation on Lake Maggiore and the centenary of the steamship Concordia on Lake Como, where we will also inaugurate a new vessel in the run-up to the Volta celebrations. We will meet these challenges with our usual unfailing sense of responsibility, and the pride we take in providing a public service in constant evolution. We would like to wish all our
passengers, students, workers, and everyone who shares life on the lake with us a very happy New Year. Our resolution is to continue accompanying you, every day, as you move towards your dreams and your goals.
In this special issue we have chosen to bring together two tangible signs of our identity: the return of the Piemonte steamship, which was built in 1904, and the passage of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic flame across the waters of our lakes. It is an image that speaks for itself: tradition continuing to sail, and the future drawing ever closer. The relay crossed our territories offering a rare and evocative sight: the Olympic light gliding past villages, jetties and shorelines. For us, it means something simple: our lakes stepping into the foreground, before the eyes of the world. The most recent Winter Olympics reached over two billion people globally. This achievement is no coincidence. With the support of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, we are implementing an investment plan worth more than €110 million. And our year-end figures confirm that we are moving in the right direction: over 12 million passengers carried and 184 new hires in 2025.
