A shipwreck dating from the 5th–4th centuries B.C., carrying a cargo of over 300 amphorae, will be the focus of the recovery project presented on Saturday, September 5, at 7:00 p.m. at the Porto delle Grazie in Roccella Ionica (Reggio Calabria). The initiative, sponsored by the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria and the province of Vibo Valentia, will outline the activities already carried out and those planned for the protection, recovery, restoration, and future preservation of the artifacts.
The wreck was discovered in 2023 off the coast of Monasterace, in the Ionian Sea, during preventive archaeological surveys conducted as part of feasibility studies for the construction of an offshore wind farm by the Spanish multinational Acciona. Following the discovery, the Superintendency involved the relevant Carabinieri Unit for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and initiated the protective procedures required by law, launching the project “Deep-water Underwater Cultural Heritage: Protection, Recovery, Conservation, and Enhancement.”
Subsequent investigations were conducted using special underwater robots, known as ROVs, which made it possible to document the presence of over 300 amphorae, distributed across two clusters approximately ten meters apart. The operations involved the use of specialized technologies and a multidisciplinary team comprising archaeologists, marine biologists, geologists, physicists, and chemists.
The project, coordinated by Project Manager Roberta Filocamo, with planning and supervision of the work entrusted to Alessandra Ghelli, an underwater archaeologist with the Superintendency, has received a second round of funding from the Ministry of Culture. The recovery, restoration, and promotion of the wreck have in fact been included in the “Major Cultural Heritage Projects” Strategic Plan, with funding exceeding 1.3 million euros, as announced in recent days by Undersecretary of Culture Lucia Borgonzoni.
Saturday’s presentation, titled “Deep-Sea Wreck: Protection, Knowledge, Research, and New Perspectives,” will trace all phases of the project, from the discovery of the wreck to the studies conducted on the seabed, through to the recovery and restoration operations and the future museum display of the artifacts. The first artifact recovered from the wreck will also be presented during the event. The event, moderated by journalist Donata Marrazzo, will be accompanied by documentary footage produced exclusively by Living Camera, which has been following the project for the Superintendency since its earliest stages.
Speakers will include Roberta Filocamo, Alessandra Ghelli, and Francesco Lia, the Superintendency’s restoration officer; Laura Sanna and Francesco Tiboni of ASPS Archaeological Services; Mauro Francesco La Russa, director of the Department of Biology, Ecology, and Earth Sciences at the University of Calabria; Gabriele Morabito of Living Camera; Maria Caterina Meduri of the Superintendency; Captain Giacomo Geloso, commander of the Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit in Cosenza; and Senior Marshal Domenico De Giorgio, commander of the Carabinieri Underwater Unit in Messina. The meeting will therefore serve as an opportunity to explain to the community and local authorities the process that has been launched to unearth and make accessible a testament to the ancient trade routes in the Mediterranean.
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| Off the coast of Monasterace (Reggio Calabria), a 2,400-year-old shipwreck: the recovery of more than 300 amphorae is underway |
The author of this article: Noemi Capoccia
Originaria di Lecce, classe 1995, ha conseguito la laurea presso l'Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara nel 2021. Le sue passioni sono l'arte antica e l'archeologia. Dal 2024 lavora in Finestre sull'Arte.Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
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