In 1771, Catherine the Great of Russia lost her famous treasure ship in the Finnish archipelagos. Many have searched for the Vrouw Maria. A Finnish historian has now located it. Join the Sea Hunters as they travel to the Baltic Sea, and become the first foreign cinematographers to join the Finnish National Maritime Museum's underwater archaeologists, in confirming the identity of this vast treasure ship and filming the process of excavation and preservation.
Under Catherine the Great the Russian court became a centre for European culture and the Vrouw Maria was a part of this. She was sailing from Amsterdam to St.Petersburg with a cargo of fairly ordinary merchandise when she encountered a storm off the Finnish coast. Her captain and crew escaped with their lives to a nearby islet and over the next few days proceeded to salvage much of her more mundane cargo. However, the captain and crew were unaware of the valuable treasure trove contained deep within her cargo holds. Her incredible art collection had been a closely guarded secret. Soon, another storm raged over the area and Vrouw Maria was now irretrievably lost to the depths.
The Empress issued orders for salvage attempts but the ship was never found and the story of her riches remained dormant until the 1980's when diplomatic records were discovered by a Finnish historian.
Since then Vrouw Maria has achieved renown as a treasure ship because of her incredible cargo purchased by the famous Empress and other Russian aristocrats. The Empress was well known for her extensive art collecting. Dutch, Flemish, and Italian paintings from the 16th and 17th century are just a part of her cargo. Paintings by Old Masters Rembrandt and Rubens number among them.
But Vrouw Maria's value extends far beyond that of the art treasures contained within her depths. The relatively undamaged framework of the wreck will enable the archaeologists to study the characteristics of Vrouw Maria's vessel type, known as a 'snow' ship. The wreck will reveal secrets on the loading and transportation of the cargo as well as the ship's sailing abilities. Vrouw Maria will also contribute to knowledge about the shipbuilding methods at the end of the 18th century and yield detailed information about European trade of the time, and manufacturing.
Once again the Sea Hunters bare witness to a cultural gem which closes a gap in the historical record, joining the past with the present. It is a fascinating glimpse into an 18th century time capsule.
Join us again as we search the oceans of the world for lost and famous shipwrecks, another true adventure with... The Sea Hunters.
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