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Discovering wrecks of the Spanish treasure fleet has for many years been the dream of numerous explorers, archeologists and would-be treasure hunters. The ships carried treasure between the New World and Spain and involved everything from gold, silver, gems, pearls, timber, to spices, sugar, tobacco and silk.
Recovering the treasure off the wrecks of the Spanish treasure fleet has been the dream of numerous explorers, archeologists and would-be treasure hunters for many years. The ships transported treasure between the New World and Spain and included cargo of timber, silver, gold, gems, pearls, spices, sugar, tobacco and silk.
The probing part-time gardener had looked through the windows of the derelict house and located a magnificent collection of what appeared to be antique treasure presented in glass display cases. He quickly came up with the plan to break in and take a closer look.
The thieves had no concept of the value of the stolen merchandise. “These were inexperienced, common crooks who thought they were breaking into an old isolated house in the countryside,’’
The 12th century family treasure, worth approximately Euro 300 million, was concealed in a derelict country house, owned by 65 year old, wealthy aristocrat, Jaume Grau-Pla. He only paid regular visits to the family home during summer and spent the odd weekend there.
He thought no one would have suspected that the old house would have concealed a fortune. Grau-Pau said “Only those who had been inside the house were aware of what was kept there. Many of the things are priceless. No amount of money could substitute them.”
Pere Solanellas , Riudecol’s mayor said “This has been totally surreal, because hardly anyone here knew about the treasure”.
Eighty percent of the stolen goods have been recovered from inside an old sack concealed in a ditch in open country, not far from the home of the thieves. The gardener has completely disappeared with his ill-gotten gain.
Another battle rages in a law court in Florida, meanwhile, between the Odyssey Marine Exploration Company and the Spanish government, over who owns the la Mercedes, a Spanish war ship sunk near the Algarve coastline, in the Atlantic Ocean, in 1804. The la Mercedes’ treasure included 500,000 gold and silver coins. The remains of the ship were located by the Odyssey Marine Exploration Company in May 2007. It is believed the court battle will continue for another two years.
A bitter dispute also blew up in 2003 over the ownership of the wreck of the long-lost galleon Notre Dame de Deliverance. It was crewed by French sailors and privately owned by a French West Indies company. It was carrying treasure valued at around $5.5 billion, including 17 chests of gold bullion, 6 chests of gems and more than 1 million silver coins.
Spanish King Charles III was sending the treasure home from his New World empire. The wreck was found 65 kilometres off Key West, Florida.
It would appear that any wrecks discovered, come into instant controversy. In 1715 alone, eleven Spanish treasure galleons foundered along the eastern coast of central Florida.
About Derelict House Hides Spanish Fortune
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