Latest news with #WarofSpanishSuccession
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
The Battle Over the World's Richest Shipwreck and its $16 Billion Treasure
Researchers have finally confirmed that a long-sunken hulk off the coast of Colombia is none other than the San José. The legendary Spanish galleon, which vanished beneath the waves of the Caribbean 300 years ago, has been dubbed the 'world's richest shipwreck.' Now the big question is, who does the treasure belong to? The San José was first launched in 1698 and was the flagship of the Spanish treasure fleet. In 1708, it was carrying gold and jewels from Peru to Spain that would help fund the War of Spanish Succession. As the ship approached Cartagena, Colombia, British naval forces attacked. During the melee, the gunpowder stores on the San José ignited, sinking the ship. Nearly 600 crew members perished as the ship went down with its vast cargo of gold, silver, emeralds, pearls, and other treasures. For centuries, the wreck remained lost beneath the sea. Two groups claim they discovered the famous shipwreck. U.S. salvage company Glocca Morra (now Sea Search Armada) insists that it first found the location of the ship in 1981. Then, in 2015, the Colombian navy, working with marine archaeologists, located the actual remains of the galleon using underwater drones. At a depth of around 600m, it is too deep for divers to access. This made it hard for researchers to confirm that it is definitely the San José. The Colombian navy has been using remotely operated vehicles to survey the wreck. The key to proving that it is the San José has been the gold coins scattered on the ocean floor. The lead author of a new study, Daniela Vargas Ariza, explained how these coins allow dating of the wreck and its demise through a process of elimination. These particular coins, known as "cobs," show mint marks from Lima, dated 1707. They also have castles, lions, Jerusalem crosses, and other Spanish imperial symbols imprinted on them. 'The finding of to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early 18th century," said the paper. "The San José galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics.' This Holy Grail of shipwrecks is now at the center of a legal battle. Colombia claims it is the sole owner of the wreck under its national heritage laws. They argue that as the ship lies within its territorial waters, it belongs to them. But others want to stake their claim over the ship and its $16 billion of treasure. Spain contends that the San José is a Spanish ship and so it is Spanish state property. Sea Search Armada says it was the first to identify the general location of the wreck in the 1980s and so should receive some of the compensation. Indigenous communities from countries like Peru and Bolivia are also asserting claims to the treasure since most of it was pillaged from them when they were under Spanish colonial rule. After hearings in Colombia and the U.S., the decision about who owns the most valuable shipwreck in the world will lie with the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- 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.
Telegraph
06-02-2025
- Telegraph
The best things to do for free in Barcelona
There is much you can explore for free in Barcelona. Start by entering a hidden courtyard in the Old Town to discover Roman ruins and then mosey over to Parc de la Ciutadella to gaze at the ornate fountain designed by Josep Fontserè and a certain well-known student – Antoni Gaudí. If you're travelling with children, make a beeline for the southern stretch of Platja de Barceloneta for rock pools and a rope-climbing frame. Below our expert shares her top recommendations on the best things to do for free in the city, while for further Nearest metro: Metro Liceu In Roman times, the hill where the city's cathedral now stands was home to a complex that included the main temple and forum, along with a smaller temple – the Temple d'August (dedicated to the emperor Augustus). Today, you can see the four Corinthian columns which formed part of the temple, but for centuries they were hidden in the fabric of other buildings; they were only rediscovered in the 19th century. They are found within the patio of a mountaineering centre, but are accessible to the public, and entrance to the space is free. A more recent discovery is the townhouse, mosaics and other Roman remains nearby at Carrer Fruita 2. Contact : Nearest metro: Metro Jaume I Nearest metro : Metro Jaume 1 The gorgeous old Born market lay unused for decades, but it has now been transformed into an impressive archaeological exhibition space – the Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria. The slatted iron and patterned brickwork framework surrounds a sunny atrium, where visitors can walk around the medieval remains of buildings razed to the ground after the Catalans' defeat in the War of Spanish Succession in 1714. This gives the building huge symbolic significance in the current political climate and is free to enter, but there's also a ticketed exhibition space that looks at life at the time, the battle and its aftermath. Contact : Nearest metro: Metro Jaume I For Old City residents, Ciutadella is the nearest they have to a back garden, and so year-round you'll see kids learning to rollerskate or cycle, musicians practising and old ladies walking their tiny dogs. Plenty is on offer for tourists, too, including a boating lake, a waterfall partly designed by Gaudí, the city zoo, snack bars and an abundance of sculptures. There are picnic zones, outdoor ping-pong tables, and a couple of playgrounds – including one for blind or disabled children. The most peaceful place to read or picnic is next to the pond in the formal rose gardens. Opening times: Daily, 8.30am-sunset Nearest metro: Metro Arc de Triomf Nearest metro: Metro Paral·lel, then Funicular de Montjuïc Nearest metro: Bus 47, H16 or V15 to Passeig Marítim After stints living in Seville and Madrid, in 2001 Sally Davies settled in Barcelona's El Born, a stone's throw from Ciutadella Park and the Santa Caterina market, two of her favourite places anywhere.
