PALESTRO

The ironclad Palestro was one of the most important ships in the Italian fleet during the Battle of Vis. It was a typical example of a 19th century warships when sails started to be replaced by steam engines and wooden hulls started to be reinforced with armor before being entirely replaced by iron hulls. The Palestro had a wooden hull sheathed in 120 mm iron armor. It was 64 meters long with a beam of 13 meters, a draft of 5 meters and a displacement of 2642 tons. The ship was armed with 165 mm and 203 mm cannons and its engine could reach a top speed of 8 knots. The ship’s hull lies on the sea floor split in two pieces and the remains of the mast, the guns and the boiler are also visible. The wreck lies in an upright position and is in very good condition thanks to the hull having been sheathed in iron. The ship had no 
superstructure but only a flat deck with three masts which has collapsed inward.