The Wreck of La Belle

The Threads of Memory Lecture Series

Dec 19, 2010

Maritime Archaeologist Eric Ray speaks on “Navio Quebrado: The Wreck of La Belle and the Failed French Colony in the Southwest” at 2 pm, Sunday, Dec. 19, in the History Museum Auditorium. The lecture is free with admission; Sundays free to NM residents. At the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, Ray has worked on the remains of the 17th-century La Belle, discovered in 1995 in the shallow waters of Matagorda Bay. 

In 1995, the wreck of La Belle was located by Texas Historical Commission archaeologists. For two years, recovery work managed to save about 40 percent of the hull and many of the artifacts. Ray’s lecture will include photos of these artifacts – many of which have never been on exhibit. He’ll also talk about how La Salle’s effort successfully diverted Spain’s attention from its other interests in New Spain.

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