Model of the carrack Santa María

Model of the carrack Santa María, Josep Giralt Xapellí – Workshops of the Maritime Museum of Barcelona, 1964

Llegir més

Num. inventory: 10784

Object name: model carrack

Title: Carrack Santa María

Object date: 1964

Author: Josep Giralt Xapellí (workshops of the Maritime Museum of Barcelona)

Technique and material: wood, cloth, plant fibre, metal, painting. Model ship.

Model ships

Model of the carrack Santa María made in the workshops of the Maritime Museum of Barcelona in 1964 by Josep Giralt. The Santa María was the flagship of Christopher Columbus’ first expedition, which reached the Americas on October 12^th, 1492. Since the carrack is a craft that is larger and more solid than a caravel, it became the typical merchant ship used in the Age of Discovery. Carracks generally had three masts, with square sails on the foremast and mainmast and lateen sails on the mizzenmast. The original craft was property of the pilot Juan de la Costa and had been built on the coast of Cantabria; as a result, it was originally named La Gallega (The Galician). The Santa María was wrecked on the northern coast of Hispaniola (off modern-day Haiti) in the early hours of Christmas, 1492. Its remains were used to build a small enclave, the fort of La Navidad.