Before leaving Stockholm Man O’ War visited the harbor-front Vasa museum which contains the world’s only surviving 17th century warship. The Vasa was among a series of new warships ordered by King Gustavus Adolphus in 1625 to establish a strong navy for the burgeoning Swedish Empire.
The Vasa was built to be the jewel in the crown of the Swedish Navy and be t
he mightiest warship in the world, armed with 64 guns on two gundecks. On Sunday the 10th of August 1628 the Vasa was ready for her maiden voyage. She set sail and fired a salute, but after only a few minutes of sailing she began to heel over and ship water. And then in a disaster of epic proportions the glorious and mighty Vasa suddenly sank having never enjoyed the heat of battle nor the taste of an enemy’s hot lead!
In 1956 after many years of effort shipwreck-specialist Anders Franzén finally found the Vasa and quickly found support to raise and salvage her. Five years later on the 24th of April 1961, the royal warship Vasa broke the surface of Stockholm’s harbor after 333 years on the sea bottom. Initially housed in a temporary museum, the Vasa was moved to her purpose specially built museum in 1990 to preserve her properly. To this day she remains the largest single object in the world that has ever been preserved.
Man O’ War raises a glass of sublime 2008 Valhalla Chardonnay to the Vasa as we leave Stockholm on a beautiful summer’s day. Next stop Åland Islands. Skål, B
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.