Ribadeo, Santiago de Galicia (1597)
Country: Spain
Place: Port of Ribadeo, Galicia
Type: Built as a galleon, though official reports evaluating the ship in 1597 suggest it had the qualities of a carrack or nao
Identified: Santiago de Galicia
Dated: Dendrochronological samples confirmed a sixteenth-century date; the ship sank in 1597 after returning damaged to Ribadeo from the 1597 Armada
Number of Masts: At least one; the mainmast step has been recorded near amidships
History of the shipwreck
Surviving ships from the 1588 Spanish Armada limped back to Spain, with many being lost along the northern coastline of the British Isles, others at sea, and a few managing to reach port before foundering. The shortage of naval vessels for the original Armada already indicated a dearth of available resources and difficulties for the Spanish Crown in financing its global empire. Once news of the defeat reached Philip II, the king still ordered a new shipbuilding program to construct 21 galleons for a future invasion effort (San Claudio Santa Cruz [year not given], 25). Philip II and his administrators also began looking more toward the Crown's Italian possessions to supply ships and materials for the naval effort. Two Ragusan nobles, Pedro de Ivella and his nephew Estefano de Oliste, were granted a contract to build and outfit 12 galleons for the Atlantic fleet (Armada del Mar Océano) (Casabán 2017, 239-40).
Both men were trusted and loyal subjects. Ivella served in earlier fleets when Philip II invaded Portugal (1580) and defended the Azores. Oliste provided his own ship for the 1588 campaign, which was lost on the return voyage. Philip II's plan for his new Mediterranean galleons was to have these built in Naples and the Republic of Ragusa (now Dubrovnik, Croatia). This force would be known as the Illyrian squadron, and its lease to the Crown would extend between 1590 and 1594. The largest ship, Santiago de Galicia, was built by Neapolitan master shipbuilder Colea Bonifacio at Castellammare di Stabia, south of Naples (Casabán 2017, 240).
Philip II did not call for the squadron to enter his service until 1595. In the meantime, Ivella used some of the ships as traditional merchantmen to carry wheat and wool around the western half of the Mediterranean. Three of the original ships built for the squadron were captured by Ottoman forces, so Ivella and Oliste replaced them with other vessels (Casabán 2017, 241). Once orders arrived to rendezvous with the Atlantic fleet, the squadron sailed to Lisbon. There Ivella died, and Oliste took over command. Royal officials evaluating the ships concluded that the Italian shipbuilders had ignored the prescribed instructions for the galleons and that the vessels were more comparable to traditional Mediterranean round ships (Casabán 2017, 257).
Nonetheless, Spain was in dire need of ships, and the Illyrian fleet eventually became part of the 1597 Armada that once again attempted to invade England. After departing Coruña in October, the fleet met a harsh winter storm and was scattered. Several ships managed to offload troops in Cornwall, but without additional supplies, all were forced to return to Spain (San Claudio Santa Cruz 2015, 47). The Illyrian squadron fared poorly, and Santiago de Galicia was damaged by the storm and in subsequent naval battles. The ship managed to return, arriving at the Galician port of Ribadeo before promptly sinking (San Claudio Santa Cruz [year not given], 26).
Dredging operations located the site in 2011, and archaeologists assessed its historical significance over the following year (San Claudio Santa Cruz et al. 2014, 209). Test excavation units in the stern and a trench in the bow uncovered a well-preserved hull and associated artifacts. Dendrochronological samples confirmed that the site was a sixteenth-century shipwreck. Initial artifact finds included bronze breechblocks for cannons, stone cannonballs, and fragments of pottery that confirmed the dendrochronological date (San Claudio Santa Cruz [year not given], 28-9).
The remains became part of the Finisterre Shipwreck project, designed to survey the northern coastline around Cape Finisterre. After confirming the date and significance of the wreck, the team covered the remains until 2015. Excavations on the site resumed in 2018 and are currently in progress, with the team uncovering sections of hull structure over the last two years. The cold temperatures and fresh water originating from the Galician mountains provide an ideal environment for organic preservation, although the strong current threatens any section of the remains that is exposed (San Claudio Santa Cruz et al. 2014, 219-20). Recording of the hull structure is piecemeal, due to the many barrels and other organic artifacts that need to be removed beforehand. Plans for the project include building a local conservation lab so that this material can be preserved and more of the hull structure recorded (Filipe Castro, pers. comm.).
Santiago de Galicia is an anomaly for several reasons: it was built in southern Italy along the Tyrrhenian Sea, and there are few examples of wrecks from this area. The ship was supposed to be built as a galleon to operate in the Atlantic Ocean, but the official reports evaluating the ships in 1597 clearly infer that it had the qualities of a carrack or nao (Casabán 2017, 257). Further work is required to evaluate the shape of the hull. No doubt Ribadeo will provide much more information in the future about whether Italian carpenters actually followed Spanish directions or if the construction included any major differences as a warship.
Description of the site
The wreck lies in the port of Ribadeo, Galicia. The cold temperatures and fresh water originating from the Galician mountains provide an ideal environment for organic preservation, although the strong current threatens any section of the remains that is exposed (San Claudio Santa Cruz et al. 2014, 219-20).
Cargo
As a warship, the initial artifact finds reflect armament rather than cargo: bronze breechblocks for cannons, stone cannonballs, and fragments of pottery (San Claudio Santa Cruz [year not given], 28-9).
Hull Remains
Since this project is in its early stages and only a few sections of the hull are recorded, little has yet been published about the construction.
Frames
Excavators have not uncovered many axial timbers at this moment, so the exact configuration of the vessel is unknown. Recent field seasons have uncovered the mainmast step and gleaned details about the framing. The ship clearly has floor timbers overlapping with futtocks, but without disassembling the hull, the type of scarf or fasteners used is unknown. Upper sections of overlapping futtocks suggest relatively square dimensions with equal space between each frame station (Borrero et al. 2020, 38-9, 41).
Keelson
The mast step is built atop the keelson near amidships. It consists of a pair of mast step partners fastened horizontally on either side of the keelson. The mainmast mortise is complete, with two wooden wedges on top of the keelson and a chock remaining inside the step. Six pairs of buttresses are rebated into the mast partners, while their lower outboard ends are cut to fit over two strakes of longitudinal ceiling. Another rectangular cut was found along the bottom inboard ends of the buttresses. Three short vertical boards were inserted in the space between the buttresses. Bilge boards running fore and aft were used to cover over the buttresses and seal the bilge. Surrounding the mainmast step are elements of a pump well, composed of stanchions with planking half-lapped along the edges to fit each other (Borrero et al. 2020, 44-50).
Deck
Exposed upper sections of the hull include a shelf clamp supported by a stringer directly underneath. Along the outside of the framing there is an accompanying wale at the same level as the shelf clamp. All timbers are recorded as square, without chamfering. Two internal castle riders to support the sterncastle were also identified by the rebates on their side faces, made to fit over the internal stringers (San Claudio Santa Cruz et al. 2014, 211-2).
Planking
Planking is thicker than that seen on most other wrecks examined in this catalog, perhaps as a result of the intended use of the vessel for naval purposes (San Claudio Santa Cruz et al. 2014, 211-2).
Caulking
Lead sheathing strips found covering several seams in the hull (San Claudio Santa Cruz et al. 2014, 211-2).
Size and scantlings
Frame elements relatively square, with equal spacing between frame stations. Mainmast partners: six pairs of buttresses. Planking notably thicker than other wrecks in this catalog.
References
San Claudio Santa Cruz, M., [year not given].
Casabán, J. L., 2017.
San Claudio Santa Cruz, M., 2015.
San Claudio Santa Cruz, M., et al., 2014.
Borrero, [initial not given], et al., 2020.