Beneath the waters off
Beneath the waters off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, lies a legendary shipwreck that is talked about in maritime circles to this day. It is a ship called ‘the holy grail of shipwrecks’, the wreck of the Spanish Galleon ‘San Jose’, which sank with gold, silver and emeralds worth $17 to $20 billion.
It also holds a vast collection of artefacts and is often referred to as a submerged museum, showcasing 18th-century maritime trade, a testament to naval warfare, colonial expansion, and imperial ambitions.
San Jose- The Most Valuable Shipwreck
The Spanish Galleon was launched in 1698 and became a part of Spain’s ‘Treasure Fleet’ or the Flota de Indias. Her task was to ship the wealth from Spain’s South American colonies, including gold from Peru, silver from the mines of Potosi (Bolivia) and emeralds from New Granada or Colombia, back to Spain.
The riches procured financed Spain’s wars and helped maintain the vast empire. San Jose undertook many successful trips, each being a dangerous one across the Atlantic, where it battled ever-changing sea conditions, rough weather, pirates and navies of rival European powers.
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