Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard The Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard ( Italian language : Corpo delle Capitanerie di porto - Guardia costiera ) is the coast guard of Italy and is part of the Italian Navy under the control of the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transports . In Italy , it is commonly known as simply the " Guardia costiera " . Its head office is in Rome . Missions . The missions of the Italian Coast Guard include : History . The Italian Coast Guard is the operational SAR branch of the " Corpo delle Capitanerie di Porto " or Corps of the Port Captaincies , which was organized first by royal decree in 1865 . It was reorganized as part of the " Regia Marina " in 1915 ( since 1946 as " Marina Militare " ) and on June 8 , 1989 , redesignated as " Guardia costiera " . Structure and organization . Structure . The Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard is structured as follows : Moreover the following services are also part of the Corps : Tasks . The Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard is a Corps of the Italian Navy that has tasks and functions connected mostly to the civil use of the sea and with functional dependence of various ministries that avail themselves on their work : first of all the " Ministero dei trasporti " ( Ministry for Transports ) which has " inherited " in 1994 , from the Ministry of the Merchant Navy , the major part of the functions connected to the use of the sea and the connected activities with the commercial and pleasure navigation a on whose budget weighs the costs for the running of the corps . The principal tasks of the Corps activities are the following : Other functions are carried out for the Ministries of defence ( enrollment of the military personnel ) , for Cultural Activities and Treasures ( underwater archaeology ) , of internal affairs ( anti - illegal immigration ) , of Justice and the department of civil protection , all having as a common denominator the sea and navigation . The broadness and the variety of activities carried out present the Corps of the Port Captaincies – Coast Guard as an organism of reference for the maritime activities and make of them a true " sole counter " for the relations with the seafarers . The Corps is represented in a highly specialized structure , as well under the administrative profile as under the technical - operational one , for the completing of the Public functions that are carried out in the maritime spaces of national interest . These spaces include 155 000 km² of maritime waters , internal and territorial , which are in every respect part of the national territory , and other 350 000 km² of waters on which Italy has exclusive rights ( exploitation of the depths resources ) or duties ( rescue in sea and safeguard of the marine environment ) : a number of marine areas whose extension is almost the double of the entire national territory , which as it is known amounts to 301 000 km² . Following the tendency that is affirming itself in Europe , the maritime authority - coast guard must exercise an effective control in sea for the safeguard of human life , for the safety of navigation , for the correct going on of the economic activities ( fishing and exploitation of the continental platform ) and for the protection of the marine environment . The Italian Marine Casualty Investigation Central Board ( MCICB " Commissione centrale di indagine sui sinistri marittimi " , CCISM ) , a division of the Corps , investigates maritime accidents and incidents . It is not an independent maritime accident investigation unit . Insignia . Like related coast guards around the world , the " Guardia Costiera " uses " The Stripe " on its vessels . This marking is in the national colors , with a narrow green band , a narrow white spacing , and a broad red band . Inside the red band is a white circle with a black anchor .