Construction & Launch

The Principessa Mafalda was launched in 1908 and named after the daughter of the Italian King Umberto I.

She had cost seven million lira to build. Her top speed was 18 knots and she had cabins for 100 passengers in "luxury class", 80 in First Class and 120 in Second Class.

The ship was built by "Societa Esercizio Bacini" Yard no 42 at Riva Trigoso, near Genoa, Italy. Gross registered tonnage was 9,210 tons. The length was 485.2 ft, breadth 55.6ft and drew 32.6ft. It had a quadruple-expansion engine of 917 hp. The ship had a full length double bottom, ten compartments and Stone Lloyd watertight doors.

The photo below shows the ship just after launch. Interestingly she lacks funnels and other superstructure. The ill-fated Principessa Joalanda had been launched fully built and come to grief. Obviously some lessons had been learnt in the meantime.

The Principessa Mafalda had sailed to Buenos Aires for the first time in April 1909. Originally built for Lloyd Italiano, she had passed into the hands of Navegazione Generale Italiana (founded in 1881) when the two companies merged.