The training ship Scilla. History of a venetian educational institution

This paper examines the history of the training ship Scilla, established in 1904 in Venice by professor and philanthropist David Levi Morenos, who also promoted the Consortium of Vocational Schools for Maritime Workers in 1917. The ship, serving as a training and boarding school, accommodated orphans from the age of 7, aiming to provide technical, practical, and cultural training for careers in naval professions and the lower ranks of the Merchant Navy, in both traffic and fishing sectors. Similar to other contemporary programs in Genoa, Naples, and Bari, this initiative combined vocational training for regional professions with the opportunity to educate disadvantaged minors at risk of “deviance” and social marginalization. This paper situates the initiative within the broader context of the history of public assistance and childhood education in 20th-century Italy, highlighting the new and significant focus on supporting disadvantaged children and their reintegration into civil society.