Thursday, March 28

Christopher Columbus ship bell to be auctioned in Tallahassee


From sea to land, what is described as a historic artifact of Christopher Columbus’ fabled journey has arrived in Florida’s capital city to be auctioned.

The 31-pound, 10-inch tall, cracked and tarnished sea green bell connected to the Santa Maria could go home with one lucky buyer for the price of $2.5 million to $5 million.

It’s had a long and sometimes tortured journey to Tallahassee.

Saved from the ashes and the deep

The flagship’s bell is said to have rung out during Columbus’ 1492 voyage with the Niña and the Pinta.

The Santa Maria ran aground on the island of Hispaniola on Christmas Eve of that year, and Columbus ordered his crew to use the timber to build “La Villa de la Navidad” in Haiti. The bell was reportedly removed from the vessel and used in the fortified village.


www.usatoday.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *