La Herradura will not forget Spanish Armada ships

MONDAY October 19 marked the 453rd anniversary of a tragic event during which 25 Spanish Armada ships sank in La Herradura bay and 5,000 people lost their lives.

This year, the event was marked with a floral tribute on the beach to honour those who died on the fatal day in 1562 with participation of pupils from Las Golondrinas school and members of the local authorities.

An art exhibition, Latin Sailing, has also been launched at La Herradura castle to mark the anniversary, with oil paintings by Federico Tomas Vera on display until the end of this month. Entry is free of charge and the exhibition will be open Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 2pm, the council announced.

The sinking of 25 ships captained by Juan de Mendoza during the reign of Felipe II marked an important part of the history of Spain, especially for its Navy, and is detailed in a thesis written by historian Maria del Carmen Calero Palacios which was published in 1974 and has become a reference guide for other literary works.