Is the lost Silver Alter of San Xavier del Bac, Panama's Silver Alter from 1670?

[sailaway]

In 1670 Henry Morgan marched from the Caribbean across the Isthmus of Panama to take the city of Panama who controlled the shipments of treasure back to Spain. The town has been left a ghost town and only thing left after the sacking and burning is the steeple of the main church that can be seen from the ocean. Henry Morgan learned of a ship that had been loaded with the Churches holy items (including a solid silver Alter that was painted black to hide it's rich value) and sailed away with the towns riches and with Nuns accompanying the church artifacts. Will give the name of the ship and quotes as to the Pirates who were too drunk to give chase even though they did capture some of the crew but let the ship slip through their fingers.

Where is this Silver Alter today?

 

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[sailaway]

The official report by Don Jaun de Guzman (President of Panama) arrived in Lisbon on the 5th of June 1671 by ship directed to the Conde de Penaranda and the Queen of Spain. The Catholic Church has records as does the War Council of the West Indies in Spain. Other records exist such as "The Action of privateers at Panama on the 4th of April 1671" by Wm. Fogg CSPWI item 483
The book "Empire of Blue Water" by Stephan Talty quotes these records. There is the account given directly to Morgan by Robert Searle a Commander Buccaneer under the Famous Admiral of the Breatheren of the Coast (Morgan). page 245
The Ship that carried off the churches vestment into the Pacific was the Galleon "La Santissina Trinidada"

 

[KANACKI]

Hello Sailaway.

La Santissina Trinidada" sailed back to Callao and brought the news of panama's sacking by pirates.

According to the curate of St Rosa de Lima church in Lima. Dedicated after the patron saint in 1671.St. Rose of Lima, Spanish Santa Rosa de Lima, original name Isabel Flores de Oliva, (born April 20/30, 1586, Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru [now in Peru]–died August 24, 1617, Lima; canonized April 12, 1671; feast day August 23, formerly August 30), patron saint of Peru.

Silver altar fitting was intended to returned from the sister Church in Lima to Panama.

However due the destruction of Old Panama the silver was reused in the canonization dedication to a new altar in the Church dedicated to St. Rose of Lima. However much of the original altar and altar pieces was split up.

Some was confiscated in the Peruvian war of independence and melted down in 1821. Some pieces survived.

Such like these beautiful pair of candle sticks below valued between 40 and 50 thousand USD.



Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Ironic to think most of these Spanish colonial silver artifacts are virtually for one reason or another hard to sell. It would be a total travesty to melt them down just for the silver content.Which then would be worth a fraction of what they could sell as a object of art.

However buyers of such items are few and far in between. Many of the colonial churches in which many items have from can no longer can afford to keep them or buy them back. Because such items with no clear document proven provenance, makes many action houses and dealers very weary of dealing with such items. Collectors want such items as a investment not some thing you will have trouble reselling. So there for such items have a limited market.



Kanacki

 

[KANACKI]

Another factor that affects the value. While many churches are experiencing theft of their silver altar paces. Other 400 year old churches are struggling to keep up the maintenance of such historic building. Many of the churches themselves have sold off their silver to keep the roof over their heads. The alter front below is for sale.



With market full of Spanish colonial silver prices not surprising to see many items take a very long time to find a buyer.

So as a treasure while definitely interesting it is also liability.

Kanacki

 

[sailaway]

Are there documents for the unloading of the church vestments and descriptions of the items? If so where and could we see copies?

 

[KANACKI]

Are there documents for the unloading of the church vestments and descriptions of the items? If so where and could we see copies?

There are in archives of curate of the church in Lima. In church accounts of Church inventory and descriptions of vestments and Altar furnishings of year 1672. We was not after that as we at time was trying to confirm later acts of piracy in 1821 not earlier events. The Curate only after considerable string pulling allowed us look at there records. Churches are very cautious in dealing with total strangers in opening up their books because of the fear of theft. And rightly so with organised gangs stealing church vestments and governments in the past short of cash looked at stealing gold and silver objects to balance their books. We have a letter of introduction from a priest. And even then did not have permission to copy much.

That was 1998 a long time ago. But when asked about piracy there was nothing about 1821 but the curate showed us document about pieces of Altar from Panama furnishing accounted for in the above. He did both Royalists and insurgents tried to size silver and gold from the churches to pay for the respective war. However when San Martin captured the city he spared it of a lot of looting.

Kanacki