Museu Maritim

The collections of the Museu Marítim de Barcelona comprise tangible testimonies to a long-standing cultural tradition linked to the sea and which have survived throughout our history. The museum’s collections have been built up over the course of the institution’s existence, a period that began in 1929 with the establishment of a small museum that was part of the Institut Nàutic de la Mediterrània (Mediterranean Nautical Institute). The collections have grown as a result of the acquisitions made by the museum and thanks to the generosity of the many organisations and people who have made donations to the institution.

Highlights of the museum’s resources include its collections of model ships, nautical instruments, ex-votos, maritime paintings, figureheads, cartography (an extraordinary feature in many respects), the replica of the royal galley of Juan de Austria, and the schooner Santa Eulàlia, a historical vessel from 1918.

The model ship collection

The model ships that make up the museum’s main collection can be divided into different classes, namely shipyard models, half-hull models, models from nautical schools, ex-voto models, models corresponding to shipping companies from the 19th and 20th centuries, and others built in the museum’s own modelling workshops.

Made on the same premises on which the ships themselves were built, shipyard models are prototypes, i.e. reduced-scale study projects undertaken prior to the full-scale construction of the corresponding vessel. The accuracy of their design and the painstaking way in which they were produced give such models intrinsic historical and documentary value that elevates them to the status of authentic works of art. Within this category of the museum’s collections, particular attention should be drawn to an 18th-century model of a man of war with 80 cannons. The model in question was probably made in Havana in around 1740 and was used for the construction of 8 men of war with 80 cannons for the Spanish Royal Armada between 1749 and 1798.

The museum’s half-hull models make up one of its most important collections. Such models represent the longitudinal section of a ship’s hull. They are made in the same shipyards in which the actual ships are built and serve the same purpose as shipyard models. Most of the models in the museum’s collection depict sailboats built during the 19th century in the shipyards on the Catalan coastline.

Nautical school models were used to give lessons on certain aspects of sailing, and on manoeuvres in particular. Such models have some specific characteristics, such as the fact that they have flat-bottomed hulls (sometimes subsequently modified). Additionally, their masts and spars with all the rigging and ropes (the main focus of interest due to the educational purpose of such models) are extremely accurate in technical terms. It should also be noted that in order for students to be able to access models and handle the rigging and ropes, those elements are situated on the exterior of the hull. The models of the kind in question kept in the museum come from the most prestigious nautical schools on the Catalan coast (Barcelona, Arenys de Mar, Vilassar de Mar, Mataró, el Masnou), almost all of which were established in the 18th century as a result of the growth of the practice of sailing due to active trade with America. They represent the most characteristic sailboats of the 18th and 19th centuries, as used by both merchants and the Armada, including men of war, frigates, corvettes, brigs, etc.

Shipping companies’ models are made during or just after the construction of the corresponding ship. The accuracy of such replicas gives them great technical and documentary value. Their main purpose is to generate familiarity with the companies’ vessels, with a view to advertising and promoting the relevant firms.

In addition to the museum’s other collections of models, mention must be made of those produced in the institution’s modelling workshop. Such models are the result of extensive historical research carried out by teams from the museum and the strict technical criteria applied thereto endows them with tremendous value. Of particular note among the models in question is that of the royal galley of Juan de Austria, along with replicas of the three ships of Columbus and a model of the Greek merchant ship Kyrenia, built in conjunction with the Texan Institute of Nautical Archaeology, which is studying the wreck salvaged from the waters of the Mediterranean.

Along the same lines, there are other naval archaeological study models, such as that of a Catalan ship from the 15th century (produced on the basis of the famous model of the Coca de Mataró). Further examples take the form of models of the medieval vessels Culip VI and Sorres X, both of which are reproductions based on shipwrecks excavated on the Catalan coast (at Cap de Creus and at the Llobregat delta respectively) and are hypothetical reconstructions of the craft in question.

The navigation instrument collection

Another of the museum’s noteworthy collections comprises navigation instruments from all ages. The instruments in question include those for calculating latitude, such as cross-staffs and quadrants; those based on reflection and used for determining the altitude of celestial bodies, such as octants and sextants; various means of gauging time, a notable example being the marine chronometer, which made it possible to ascertain an exact longitude at sea; and other devices used for the purpose of observation, such as glasses for long distances, or for measuring the depth of the seabed, such as depth finders.

The collection largely consists of objects manufactured between the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries and which come from the old nautical schools or descendants of Catalan mariners and sailors, who have donated them to the museum.

The ex-voto collection

The museum has a substantial collection of mariners’ ex-votos, either in the form of small painted pictures depicting the reason for their creation (accidents onboard vessels, shipwrecks, etc.) and bearing the name of the holy or divine being to whom they were offered, or of model ships, often roughly made but which show signs of having been fashioned by a craftsman with a knowledge of the relevant vessel and the seafaring world. They have come from the chapels located all along the Catalan coast and named after various saints and virgins who were held in high esteem among communities involved in maritime activities.

Most of the objects in question arrived at the museum during the Spanish Civil War, when the Servei de Patrimoni (Heritage Service) of the Generalitat de Catalunya carried out a huge operation geared to protecting such objects and passing them on to cultural institutions able to guarantee their safekeeping and conservation.

Mariners’ ex-votos constitute a first-hand source of documentary information on the life and work of sailors and fishermen and the means used to fulfil their tasks, as well as, in particular, on the large vessels and small craft which graced our ports for many centuries and which have now vanished. In many cases, the depiction of such ships in the scenes portrayed by painted ex-votos or their representation in the form of models offered by mariners is the only contemporary image thereof that has survived until the present.

The historical value of these objects must be emphasised. They are authentic examples of popular craftsmanship, on one hand, and reliable evidence of the religious devotion of seafaring people, on the other. Technically speaking, they are inaccurately executed and are not particularly faithful representations in terms of the conventional characteristics of the ships they portray. However, they constitute a unique testimony to the way in which a singular cultural phenomenon was expressed.

The museum’s picture collection

Despite Spain’s long-standing maritime tradition, the sea had never been a principal theme in the country’s paintings until recent times. Unlike the case of the Anglo-Saxon or Dutch cultures, Spanish artists depicted aspects of seafaring life as of the 19th century, but the genre did not take on a prevalent role. Nonetheless, from that time onwards, renowned painters incorporated portrayals of the sea, of maritime activities and of ships into their works. Combining artistic and documentary values, such images make up a large part of the museum’s pictorial collection, which includes works by J. Llaverias, R. Martí Alsina, M. Urgell and D. Baixeras, among others.

Portraits of vessels deserve to be mentioned separately. This genre has provided researchers with documentation that is both reliable and useful, in that it accurately reflects the conditions and characteristics of sailboats and steamboats. In some cases, the pictorial representation of such vessels is all that remains of them. The museum’s collection includes specialised works corresponding to the genre in question, highlights among which are those of Josep Pineda, A. Jacobsen and F. Hernández Monjo.

The figurehead collection

The figureheads in the museum’s collection basically come from 19th-century Catalan sailboats. During their existence, all of them have been through difficult situations that have threatened their integrity and which are now part of their history. One of the most outstanding examples is the so-called "Negre de la Riba" (Black man of Riba), the figure of a warrior from the native tribes that inhabited the area of the Great Lakes in North America. With the sailboat that it adorned having been broken up, the figurehead came to be used as a means of attracting customers to a nautical shop on the Riba pier in the district of Barceloneta (Barcelona), from where it took its name. Other noteworthy specimens include the "Ninot" (Male doll), which represents a pupil from a nautical school and which spent many years on the façade of a tavern in Barcelona; and "Blanca Aurora" (White Aurora), a female figure that depicts the daughter of the owner of the corvette with the same name and which plied the seas midway through the 19th century.

The nautical cartography collection

The heart of this impressive collection consists of 11 nautical charts and atlases produced by the leading representatives of the Escola Cartogràfica Mallorquina (Majorca School of Cartography) between the 15th and 17th centuries. The school was the hub of the cartographic activity under the rule of the Crown of Aragon and was at the forefront of the restructuring movement to which the use of the compass for navigation gave rise. Supported by the monarchy, it coincided with the Aragonese and Catalan expansion throughout the Mediterranean. The portolan chart drawn up by the cartographer Gabriel de Vallseca is a highlight of the collection. Dated 1439, it is one of the most important items in the museum’s collection and, unquestionably, the most significant specimen of medieval nautical history conserved in Spain.

The collection is completed by an archive of nautical maps which comprises almost 2000 printed documents (sea charts and atlases) from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, portraying coasts from all over the world.

Ships

The royal galley of Juan de Austria

To mark the fourth centenary of the battle of Lepanto, a replica was built at the Museu Marítim de Barcelona of the royal galley of Juan de Austria. The vessel was the flagship of the fleet of the Holy League (comprising Spain, the Republic of Venice, the Papal States and Malta), which fought the Turkish navy at Lepanto on 7 October 1571.

A very large vessel, the royal galley had a length of 60 metres and a breadth of 6.2 metres. Propelled by 59 oars operated by 236 oarsmen, the vessel was also rigged with 2 masts, specifically a mainmast and a foremast with respective heights of 22 metres and 15 metres, and lateen sails with a surface area of 691 square metres.

One of the galley’s characteristic features was its decoration, the work of Seville’s most highly renowned artists of the age. Juan de Mallara, a humanist and a counsel of the Spanish court, was responsible for the design of the decoration, the selection of themes and the iconography used. He actually left a detailed written description thereof, on the basis of which it was possible to reproduce those elements on the replica. The features on the stern are a highlight of the overall decorative work. The sculptures and paintings which appeared on that part of the original vessel were produced by Juan Bautista Vázquez and Benvenuto Tortello, portraying mythological figures and scenes along with symbols of the Catholic doctrine, such as faith, hope and charity, represented by the awning’s lamps.

The schooner Santa Eulàlia

The schooner Santa Eulàlia was thus renamed in honour of one of Barcelona’s patron saints after it had undergone a recovery and restoration process. The vessel is currently moored at the wooden pier (Bosch and Alsina) at Barcelona’s old port, where it is open to visitors every day, except on the occasions on which it takes to the seas of the world in the role of an ambassador for the museum, the city and the country.

In January 1918, a schooner sporting three masts and named Carmen Flores was launched at the beach of Torrevieja. The vessel was active for almost 80 years, during which time it underwent various modifications and changes of name. Between 1928 and 1975 it was a motor sailer and went by the names of the Puerto de Palma and the Cala San Vicenç. As of 1975, by which time it was called the Sayremar Uno, it operated as an auxiliary ship for underwater work. The vessel continued to work in that capacity until 1997, the year in which the Museu Marítim de Barcelona acquired it through an auction.

That purchase saw the museum posed with one of the most significant and difficult challenges it had ever faced, namely the recovery and restoration of a historical vessel, adhering to the strictest criteria in terms of the protection of cultural heritage. The first of its kind to be undertaken in Spain, the operation was also intended to be an initial step towards recovering our valuable floating heritage.

Having gathered together all kinds of historical and technical information that provided a highly accurate picture of the ship’s original appearance, restoration and reconstruction work began in 1998, following a principle of preservation wherever possible.

Certain parts had to be newly made, such as the masts, spars and rigging.Meanwhile, plans were afoot to make the ship operative, so that the restored schooner would be able to set sail in addition to being open to visitors in the port. Currently moored at Barcelona’s old port, the Santa Eulàlia has become the museum’s flagship and is a vital part of a comprehensive range of educational programmes and pedagogical and civic activities related to the Mediterranean Sea.

Openning times and prices

Technical specifications
Previous names:	Carmen Flores (1919-1931) Puerto de Palma (1931-1936) Cala San Vicenç (1936-1975) Sayremar Uno (1975-2000) Santa Eulàlia (2001)
Year of construction:	1918 Probably launched on 14 January 1919
Shipyard:	Astilleros Marí, in Torrevieja (Alicante)
Dead weight (maximum load):	190 tons
Displacement in service:	215 tons
Gross / net tonnage:	156 tons / 116 tons
Material of hull:	Wood
Overall length:	34.6 m (47 m including the bowsprit and the boom)
Length between perpendiculars:	29.3 m
Maximum breadth:	8.5 m
Depth:	3,8 m
Maximum draught:	4.05 m
Surface area of sails:	526,4 m2
Number of sails:	12
Height of masts above deck:	27 m
Engine:	Volvo Penta 367 CV (291.9 kW)
Current crew:	7 (captain plus 6 sailors)
Maximum no. of passengers:	30 people

Other ships

The museum has a collection of original working ships and pleasure boats, most of which are originally from the Catalan coast. They are specimens that represent classes of craft which have now disappeared. At the same time, they provide evidence of shipbuilding techniques, the materials used and the specific characteristics of vessels from the past.

The ships in question can basically be categorised as fishing boats (the caro Papet, the longliner Madrona, the xabeck Maria del Carmen, the trawler Joven Ramón, etc.) or pleasure craft (the catamaran 254, the sloop Toñete, etc.). The collection also includes some modern vessels, such as a flying Dutchman, which make it possible to draw comparisons with ships of the past.

Some ships are part of the permanent exhibition, while others are in the process of being restored or are kept in the storage facility, awaiting their moment in the spotlight. The case of the pilot boat Pollux is a unique exception. Currently undergoing restoration, it is afloat as part of the extension to the museum on the water, alongside the schooner Santa Eulàlia.

Other collections

Of lesser significance in qualitative and quantitative terms, but nonetheless deserving of a mention, are the museum’s collections of weapons, coins, medals, stamps, sculptures, tools and various artefacts which, in one way or another, illustrate specific aspects of our seafaring history.

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