Pirates of the Mediterranean as Guardia Civil strip wreck

© Guardia Civil

POLICE divers take measurements before removing the precious items.

On the night of March 4, 1855, the English brig ‘La Isabella,’ which was transporting hand-carved marble statues from Genoa to Calcutta in order to decorate an Indian mansion, was wrecked off the coast of Benalmadena.

Its remains have been officially protected since 2009, and are considered of important cultural interest by the Junta de Andalucia, while at a depth of eight metres, the ill-fated ship was accessible for divers in search of adventure.

Now, Guardia Civil agents have recovered the most valuable items from the wreck, after recent strong currents resulted in it becoming visible from the surface, raising fears of looting.

Among the items, some of which had to be brought to the surface using special floating balloons due to their weight, are two 1.5 metre diameter marble ‘circles’, a large slate ‘step’, various tiles and a 50 cm bronze nail.

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