XVIII century - the time of pirates, sailboats and legends of countless treasures. It was then that the thirst for gold pushed people to rob in the open sea, and it was in those distant years that a ship with the beautiful name “Urca de Lima” sailed across the sea ...
The series "Black Sails"
Probably, before the release of the sensational series Black Sails, only historians specializing in European colonies of the 18th century knew about the existence of a Spanish galleon called "Urca de Lima". Everything turned upside down when the exciting plot of the film became known, where notorious pirates chased Spanish gold for a better life.
So was there really a galleon with treasures, the owner of which could become the richest man in the New World?
The true story of the Spanish galleon
It was the year 1715. Spain, financially drained by the inheritance war, needed money more than ever. Regular attacks by pirates prevented the unhindered transfer of gold and other valuables from the Spanish colonies of the New World.
But there was simply no other choice, and in the summer of 1715 a caravan of 12 vessels left Havana under the command of General Juan Esteban de Ubilla. The holds of the ships were filled to capacity with gold, silver and colonial goods. The total value of the cargo, according to historical data, was about 14 million pesos.
The Spanish fleet has been slowly moving along the eastern coast of Florida for the fifth day, when suddenly a wind came from the southeast, the sea became uneasy, and experienced sailors who repeatedly sailed in these deceptive waters did not bode well. These were the first messengers of a powerful tropical storm, which in a few hours would send to the bottom or smash into reefs 11 of 12 Spanish ships, including the galleon “Urca de Lima”.
The only ship that spared the hurricane was the Griffin merchant ship. A few days after the disaster, he reached the coast of Cuba, and the sailors were able to talk about what happened. The rest found their last refuge near the coast of Florida, about a thousand people survived in that terrible storm.
The fate of the treasure of the sunken ship
The Spaniards searched for their sunken gold for about 3 years. To raise values from shallow water, a special bell was used. They managed to return to the treasury about a third of all the money transported then to Europe. The pirate raids in search of easy money really took place, so the creators of the series relied on historical facts.
After the Spaniards left, many locals, together with the American treasure hunters, long equipped expeditions to the crash site, some were lucky, others were not.
The wreckage of the Urca de Lima galleon was discovered only in 1987, not far from the modern Fort Pierce. According to airborne records, all cargo was transported ashore immediately after the hurricane. This was possible because part of the vessel after the crash remained above the water.
“Urca de Lima” is a ship whose photo after the release of “Black Sails” is not so difficult to find on the Internet, thanks to this film he seemed to be resurrected. The name of the ship, which sank more than 300 years ago, is again heard by millions of viewers around the world.