‘El Greco. Santo Domingo el Antiguo' Review: Awe-Inspiring Altarpieces
Madrid
The conventual church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo in Toledo, Spain, played a crucial role in the life and work of Doménikos Theotokópoulos, better known as El Greco. It was there that the painter received his first major Spanish commission, a complex series of altarpiece paintings. Thirty-seven years later, he was buried there, watched over by one of his final works.
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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gold from legendary 1708 shipwreck is seen in new images
More than three centuries after a legendary Spanish galleon loaded with treasure sank off the coast of Colombia, researches have uncovered new details about gold coins found scattered around the shipwreck. Dubbed the "holy grail" of shipwrecks, the San Jose galleon was sunk by the British navy near Cartagena in 1708, killing most of the roughly 600 crewmembers on board. The ship was believed to be holding gold, silver, gemstones and other treasure worth billions of dollars. Now researchers have analyzed intricately designed gold coins found near the wreck, confirming they are indeed from the iconic San Jose. The coins feature depictions of castles, lions and crosses on the front and the "Crowned Pillars of Hercules" above ocean waves on the back, according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal Antiquity. Researchers, including experts from Colombia's navy, studied images taken by remotely operated vehicles of dozens of coins that are scattered around the shipwreck nearly 2,000 feet below the ocean's surface. The study's authors said the exact number of coins on the seabed is difficult to determine "due to the dynamic nature of the site." But an analysis of high-resolution images from the remotely operated vehicles shows each coin's average diameter is 32.5 millimeters and weighs roughly 27 grams. On some of the coins, researchers were able to discern the letters "PVA" — representing a Latin motto meaning "Plus Ultra" or "Further Beyond." That adage was used on currency to signify the expansion of the Spanish monarchy in the Atlantic, the study's authors said. Numbers depicting the coins' denomination and the date of minting (1707) could also be seen. Last August, Colombian authorities said one remotely operated vehicle surveyed the wreck, uncovering numerous artifacts, including an anchor, jugs and glass bottles. The Colombian government announced last year it would begin extractions from the ship off its Caribbean coast, using multiple remotely operated vehicles. The ship was discovered in 2015, but its exact location has been kept secret to protect the storied wreck from potential treasure hunters. Since its discovery, multiple parties have laid claim to the shipwreck, including Colombia, Spain and Indigenous Qhara Qhara Bolivians who claim the treasures on board were stolen from them. The wreck has also been claimed by U.S.-based salvage company Sea Search Armada, which says it first discovered the wreck more than 40 years ago. The cause of the San Jose's sinking has also been debated. British documents indicate that the ship did not explode, according to Colombia's government, but Spanish reports suggest the ship was blown up in battle. Either way, the ship — laden with chests of emeralds and about 200 tons of gold — sank with most of its crew while heading back from the New World to Spain on June 7, 1708. In May 2024, Colombia declared the site of the shipwreck a "protected archeological area." An accused woman skips her pedicure, kills her ex-husband LAPD chief speaks out about deployment of military forces to anti-ICE protests Sneak peek: The Day My Mother Vanished
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gold coins confirm ‘world's richest shipwreck' is 18th century Spanish galleon
The yearslong international fight to lay claim to the suspected 'world's richest shipwreck' likely won't end anytime soon, especially after a research team's most recent conclusions. Experts have confirmed that dozens of gold coins scattered across the ocean floor off the coast of Colombia belonged to the San José, an ill-fated Spanish treasure galleon that sank over 300 years ago during a battle with British warships. The findings were published on June 10 in the journal Antiquity. In June 1708, the San José and a fleet of 17 other vessels departed the capital of Colombia for Europe laden with gold, silver, and uncut gems. The 64-gun, three-masted Spanish flagship alone carried as much as 200 tons of treasure with a modern value estimated as high as $17 billion by today's standards. On June 8, however, the galleon had the misfortune of running across a squadron of five British warships during the War of Spanish Succession. The San José and two of its fellow ships subsequently engaged in a cannon battle with their enemies while most of the fleet retreated to Cartagena. In the end, neither side made off with the flagship's riches—the San José's stores of gunpowder eventually ignited, causing the vessel to sink to the bottom of the Atlantic. It would take almost 310 years before salvagers located the legendary ship's remains. In 2015, Colombia's government announced the potential rediscovery of the San José in the Caribbean near Cartagena, but it would take another few years to mount expeditions to confirm the theory. Since 2021, the Colombian navy and archeological experts have overseen four noninvasive field examinations using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The results of their analysis published in Antiquity make it clear: the wreck (and all its treasure) are from the San José. The key pieces of evidence were dozens of rough gold coins sitting on the ocean floor. The treasure had an average diameter of 1.3 inches and each weighed around one ounce. Using high-definition photography, the team initially analyzed the bounty. Further imaging showcased the designs on either side of the coinage. One side featured a variation on the Jerusalem cross (one large cross framed by four smaller crosses) and a shield detailed with lions and castles. On the other side, the coin illustrated the 'Crowned Pillars of Hercules above the waves of the sea.' According to the study's authors, those waves were a trademark sign of the Lima Mint. The images were so detailed that experts even noted the distinct engravings made by an assayer, the person responsible for testing the gold coins' purity. Taken altogether, the coins must have been aboard the San José. 'Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins—known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish—served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries,' Daniela Vargas Ariza, a maritime archeologist and the study's lead author said in a statement. Along with the tons of additional currencies, gems, and historical artifacts, the San José represents one of the most lucrative shipwreck finds in modern history. But who gets to claim it? That question is at the center of a debate that continues to rage between the governments of Colombia and Spain. For its part, Colombia hopes to recover and sell some of the treasure to finance a larger effort to salvage the ship—although Colombian law might prohibit such an act. Meanwhile, Spain asserts it is still the rightful owner of the San José and everything on it based on the Law of the Sea. This international convention maintains that all navy wrecks belong to their original country. Unfortunately for Spain, Colombia never signed that agreement and some experts argue the accord is intended for modern warships, not historical wrecks. For now, the fate of the San José remains unclear. But thanks to forensic archeological research and expert analysis, one thing is certain: it is worth quite a bit of bullion.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sunken ship with £16bn of treasure ‘found in Caribbean'
For centuries, a £16-billion treasure trove of gold, silver and emeralds was lost beneath the waves of the Caribbean. But now researchers believe they have identified the 'holy grail of shipwrecks'. The rich treasures of the Spanish galleon San Jose appeared to have been gone forever after they were sunk by the Royal Navy in 1708. A squadron commanded by Charles Wager, who would go on to serve as the First Lord of the Admiralty, intercepted the treasure fleet near Baru Island, off Cartagena, Colombia, and attacked, detonating its powder magazines and sending it to the seabed. The treasure was being transported from Peru to Spain to fund the War of the Spanish Succession against Britain and its allies. Gold and silver coins, pearls and gems, claimed to be worth as much as £16 billion in current prices, sat aboard the San Jose. The ship's sinking dented the Spanish effort in the war, which ended with Britain gaining Gibraltar, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. Academics in Colombia now claim to have confirmed that a wreck found off the South American country's coast in 2015 is the San Jose. Using underwater drones, they photographed cargo scattered on and around the wreckage of a ship found on the seafloor near Baru Island in 2015. Analysis of the images found silver coins – minted in 1707 with the hallmarks of the mint at Lima, Peru – among the wreckage. Other finds included Chinese porcelain from the Kangxi period (1662-1722) and inscriptions on cannons that dated to 1665. These finds suggest the wreckage is of a ship that sank in the early 18th century. 'This body of evidence substantiates the identification of the wreck as the San José Galleon, a hypothesis that has been put forward since its initial discovery in 2015,' the academics found. 'The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early 18th century. The San José Galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics. 'This find presents a rare opportunity to explore an underwater archaeological site and deepen our understanding of colonial maritime trade and routes.' The analysis will likely deepen a battle over the legal ownership of the wreckage. Claims have been made by Colombia, Spain, Peru, indigenous communities in the area, descendants of miners who dug up the treasure, and Glocca Morra, the treasure-hunting firm, which says it found the wreck as far back as 1981. Glocca Morra's new owners, Sea Search Armada, insist that the galleon was found within a mile or two of the coordinates of its 1981 discovery. The company, which is claiming £7.9 billion, is also challenging a 2020 law that deemed everything on the ship was Colombian government property The researchers added: 'Coins are crucial artefacts for dating and understanding material culture, particularly in shipwreck contexts. 'Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins – known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish – served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries.' The finds follow previous carbon dating analysis of the wreckage that indicated that it was approximately 300 years old. The ship's cargo will not be recovered from the seafloor until the wreckage is 'fully characterised' using 'non-invasive surveys'. With the galleon lying several hundred metres below the sea surface, it is too deep for human exploration. The study is published in the journal Antiquity. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
