Archaeologists identify 1894 shipwreck off Santa Maria
Azores GuideDivers working for the 600th anniversary of the discovery of the Azores have found the barque Conte Igino L. and documented the wrecks of the Velma and the Canarias.
An underwater archaeology campaign on Santa Maria has located the wreck of the Conte Igino L., an Austro-Hungarian barque lost in the harbour of Maia on 12 January 1894. The accident killed the ship's boatswain. The barque is linked to the maritime history of present-day Croatia, and its wreck had not been identified by archaeologists before.
The team also georeferenced and documented the wrecks of the Velma and the Canarias.
The campaign began with the organisers of the commemorations of the 600 years of the discovery of the Azores, who proposed a symbolic rediscovery of Santa Maria through its seabed. Archaeologists from the company Cota 80.86 carry out the underwater work. The historical research is done by UNIDCOM/IADE, the design and communication research unit of Universidade Europeia.
The documented losses off Santa Maria include five Spanish ships between 1567 and 1706, among them La Concepción, which sailed from Santo Domingo and was lost in 1567.
The campaign runs until 1 November with logistical support from the regional government's mission structure for the anniversary and from the municipality of Vila do Porto. It is coordinated with the Regional Directorate for Culture and the Vila do Porto harbour master. The results will be presented publicly.
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Azores Guide
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