Resting just a stone’s throw away from a beach in Cape Canaveral, a three-masted ship that sank in 1565 holds untold treasures, including three bronze cannons valued at over $1 million each. Despite the discovery of La Trinite in 2016, these treasures have remained untouched, as a battle over ownership has been ongoing. However, it appears that this battle may now be resolved. In a recent court ruling, Judge Allen Winsor of the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida determined that the wreck belongs to France under the 2004 Sunken Military Craft Act, which acknowledges a country’s sovereignty over its former warships, as reported by AFP.
This outcome aligns with the claims made by France and Florida all along, according to the Guardian. However, in the recent court battle, Global Marine Exploration (GME), the private company that made the discovery, argued that La Trinite wasn’t a warship, as France and Spain were not engaged in a war when it sank. This argument was refuted by records. Jim Goold, a lawyer representing the French, stated that La Trinite was involved in a conflict between French Protestants and Spain’s Catholic monarchy. The ship’s captain allegedly informed the French commander at Fort Caroline that an attack on the Spanish was imminent before setting sail from the fort, as acknowledged by Goold.
In his decision on September 29, Judge Winsor wrote, “France has provided sufficient uncontested evidence to establish that La Trinite sank while on military noncommercial service, making it a ‘sunken military craft’,” as reported by AFP. He also dismissed GME’s claim that France had benefitted improperly from the exploration of the wreck, stating that France did not order or authorize the work and should not be held accountable for it. “This decision is a relief, and we hope that this legal saga will now come to an end so that we can focus on preserving these elements of cultural heritage,” said Florence Hermite, a legal attache at the French Embassy, according to AFP. It remains uncertain whether the wreck or its treasures will be recovered. Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit previously determined that France had entered into an agreement with Florida for the recovery of the remains. (Read more shipwrecks stories.)
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