Boat wreck from 1,000 years ago discovered at bottom of river in Spain - video

In Spain, divers have discovered the wreck of a 1,000-year-old boat used to transport pilgrims to the shrine of St. James in Santiago de Compostela.

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A very interesting news item was reported by the Spanish media, which reported an unusual discovery. At the bottom of the river, divers found the wreck of a medieval boat used to transport pilgrims heading to the shrine of St. James. Traveling by boat allowed to significantly shorten the route to Santiago de Compostela.

What is so remarkable about the discovery of the Spanish researchers is the age of the wooden wreck. In fact, experts have expended a fragment of the find to the period from 1050 to 1260, so we are dealing with an object that is about 800 to 1000 years old!

Santiago de Compostela

The place of worship that is the Shrine of St. James in Santiago de Compostela is one of the most important places of its kind. It is here that the tomb of St. James the Greater, who was one of the twelve apostles, disciples of Jesus Christ, is located. Already in the Middle Ages, the place was the destination of numerous pilgrimages and was the most famous next to Rome and the Holy Land.

A boat wreck from 1,000 years ago

The wreck of the boat, which measured about 7.5 meters, was discovered near the village of Ribadeo, in the province of Lugo, Galicia.

It is an elongated piece of wood carved in an L-shape that was deeply embedded in sediment. It was part of a medieval crossing boat. The wreck was discovered during work carried out by the Spanish Ministry of Culture – authorities said in an official statement.

The pilgrimage, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, consists of a network of roads in France, Spain and Portugal. They all converge in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela, where the shrine of St. James is located.

The port of Ribadeo, on the other hand, was an important point for pilgrims because of its association with another saint, Julian the Hospitaller.

In The Legend of Saint Julian, written around 1260, he appears as a pilgrim to Santiago and other holy places after fleeing his home in Angers. It is to this period that the wreck of the found boat is linked. Also in 1260, a ferry was established in Ribadeo, allowing free passage.