Galleon · lost 1588 · Kerry, Ireland
Santa Maria de la Rosa
A boy called Giovanni was the one survivor. Vice Flagship of the Guipuzcoan squadron in the Spanish Armada of 1588, the Santa Maria de la Rosa was already battered by earlier fighting when she came into Blasket Sound to shelter behind Great Blasket Island. Once her anchor was lost she struck Stromboli Reef and went down at once.
Sydney Wignall and Colin Martin found her again on 4 July 1968, and she became the first Armada wreck to be investigated on properly scientific lines; the hunt for her was also the first swimline search on a large scale anywhere in the British Isles. On flat shingle at 35-40 metres lie a mound of ballast stones, parts of the lower hull and the step of the main mast.
A pewter plate bearing the word "matute" helped to identify two brothers among her crew. The site is protected for its archaeology, and permission is required.
- Type
- GalleonSpanish
- Lost
- 1588Storm damage / grounding
- Depth
- 35–40 m
- Location
- Kerry, IrelandAtlantic Ocean
2 of 4 facts above are cited in Sources below.
Deeper than 131 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost 1588 · Storm damage / grounding · Spanish Armada 1588 · Kerry, Ireland.
On 21 September 1588 the Santa Maria de la Rosa, a 945-ton galleon of the Spanish Armada under the Basque captain Martin de Villafranca, came into Blasket Sound already badly damaged, looking for shelter from an Atlantic storm behind Great Blasket Island. When her anchor was lost, the wind drove her onto Stromboli Reef in the Sound and she went down immediately.
A young Italian boy, Giovanni, was the sole survivor of her crew; the English later questioned him. On 4 July 1968 Sydney Wignall and Colin Martin located the site when they sighted ballast stones on what they had meant to be among the last dives of their season.
Lost 1588, Storm damage / grounding during Spanish Armada 1588.
Condition of the WreckBuried, in 35–40 m, on flat shingle.
Intactness
Mound of ballast stones with parts of the lower hull planking and the main mast step preserved beneath. Many cannonballs were found during archaeological excavation but no cannons. Limited structural remains above the seabed. The site has been subject to formal archaeological investigation since 1968 and artefacts including a pewter plate inscribed "matute" (identifying two crew brothers) have been recovered.
The flat shingle seabed and depth have helped preserve the lower hull structure.
Notable Features
- Spanish Armada archaeological site (1588)
- Ballast mound with lower hull and mast step
- First Armada wreck given scientific investigation (1968)
- Only one survivor — a boy named Giovanni
- Stromboli Reef location in Blasket Sound
- Pewter plate inscribed "matute" among recovered artefacts
Regulations and RestrictionsProtected site · Permit required.
This is a legally protected site. Protected wreck (over 100 years old) under the National Monuments Acts (National Monuments Service). May require permission from National Monuments Service / Underwater Archaeology Unit to dive. Archaeological importance takes precedence.
Artefact removal prohibited — protected archaeological site.
Additional Details15 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Nationality
- Spanish
- Flag
- Spain
- Loss date
- 1588
- Conflict / event
- Spanish Armada 1588
- Latitude
- 52.10° N
- Longitude
- 10.50° W
- Water body
- Atlantic Ocean
- Protection regime
- Archaeological site under Irish National Monuments legislation
- Artefact restrictions
- Artefact removal prohibited — protected archaeological site
- Permit details
- May require permission from National Monuments Service / Underwater Archaeology Unit to dive. Archaeological importance takes precedence.
- War grave
- No
- Protected
- Yes
- Permit required
- Yes
- Condition
- Buried
- Seabed
- Flat shingle
Sources and VerificationEvery cited fact on this page traces to a published source.
- National Monuments Service — Wreck Inventory of Irelandservices-eu1.arcgis.com · Official record2 facts
- britishbattles.combritishbattles.com · Secondary source5 facts
- travelextra.ietravelextra.ie · Secondary source4 facts
- british-history.ac.ukbritish-history.ac.uk · Secondary source3 facts
- jthr.esjthr.es · Secondary source3 facts
- MaSS Cultural Heritagemass.cultureelerfgoed.nl · Secondary source3 facts
- Castlegregorycastlegregory.ie · Secondary source2 facts
- origins.osu.eduorigins.osu.edu · Secondary source2 facts
- Wrecksitewrecksite.eu · Secondary source2 facts
- Tandfonlinetandfonline.com · Secondary source1 fact
- Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org · Background reading3 facts
Background reading is listed for context and is not counted as a citation for the facts above.
- © Government of Ireland. National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
A further 3 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Santa Maria de la Rosa?
Santa Maria de la Rosa is the wreck of a galleon, off Kerry, Ireland, at 40 metres. Santa Maria de la Rosa ran aground and was wrecked in 1588.
How deep is the Santa Maria de la Rosa?
Santa Maria de la Rosa lies at 35 to 40 metres, Blasket Sound, between Great Blasket Island and Dunmore Head.
How did the Santa Maria de la Rosa sink?
Santa Maria de la Rosa ran aground and was wrecked on 1588 during Spanish Armada 1588, off Kerry, Ireland.
Is the Santa Maria de la Rosa protected?
Yes. Santa Maria de la Rosa is protected: protected wreck (over 100 years old) under the National Monuments Acts (National Monuments Service).