Cartagena museum unveils two cannons from the La Mercedes warship
The Murcia port city will host an exhibition dedicated to the Renaissance frigate at the end of the year
After several months of conservation and study, the ARQUA National Museum of Underwater Archaeology in the port of Cartagena has added two cannons to its permanent collection that were recovered from the sunken warship the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes.
The two pieces of bronze artillery, which went on display on Tuesday September 26, were brought to the surface in 2017 during the third dive to the submerged frigate, which lies more than 1,100 metres below the surface.
Interestingly, the find was referred to as “two useless bronze cannons” in the ship’s manifest when it departed from the port of El Callao in Lima, Peru back on March 28 of 1804. It’s understood that the crew planned to have them recast once the frigate landed in Spain.
The cannons were inscribed with their names – Santa Bárbara and Santa Rufina – and showed signs of being stored in bags containing some kind of plant matter. Archaeologists also found traces of cocoa beans in the sack holding the Rufina and in the Santa Bárbara, the remains of a rodent.
Each of the culverins weighs approximately two tonnes are was recovered by the unmanned underwater vehicle ROV LIROPUS, which was launched from the deck of Sarmiento de Gamboa oceanographic research vessel.
The Santa Bárbara cannon measures 4.30 metres and was commissioned in 1586 by Fernando de Torres y Portugal, count of Villar Don Pardo and viceroy of Peru. It is an exceptional piece, complete with dolphin handles are several engravings, including the barracks commissioned by the Count of Villar and the shield of Castilla y León.
Meanwhile, the Santa Rufina culverin is 3.80 metres long and was commissioned in 1601 by Luis de Velasco y Castilla, viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) and later of Peru.
At the end of the year, the ARQUA will host an exhibition dedicated to the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes in which Mexico, Chile, Peru and Bolivia will also participate. After Cartagena, the expo will travel to the rest of the participating countries, concluding late in 2024.
Image: ARQUA
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