The exhibition 'Our Lady of Mercedes. A common history' begins its American tour in Uruguay

• After beginning its journey at the ARQVA National Museum of Underwater Archeology in Spain, the cultural cooperation project promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and Cultural Action will travel to several Latin American countries
• In the exhibition that is being held until September 22 at the Numismatic Museum of the Central Bank of Uruguay, the role of the port of Montevideo in the return journey of the frigate, which sank in Portuguese waters in 1804, is highlighted.
• It also focuses on the figure of the ship's commander, José de Bustamante y Guerra, who was governor of Montevideo and one of the protagonists of the Malaspina-Bustamante scientific expedition.
• Spain will transfer an important set of coins from the ship's cargo as a loan to Uruguay, as well as to the rest of the countries that will also host the exhibition: Chile, Bolivia and Mexico

The Ministry of Culture and Spanish Cultural Action (AC/E) presented yesterday in Uruguay the exhibition 'Our Lady of Mercedes. A common story. Thus begins the American itinerancy of this cultural cooperation project in which different Latin American countries and Spain participate. The exhibition, which began its journey in Spain, can be visited until September 22 at the Numismatic Museum of the Central Bank of Uruguay, in Montevideo, the first port in American territory, to later stop in Chile, Bolivia and Mexico.

The vice president of the Republic of Uruguay, Beatriz Argimón, participated in the opening ceremony; the Minister of Education and Culture of Uruguay, Pablo da Silveira; the vice president of the Central Bank of Uruguay, Washington Ribeiro; and Isaac Sastre, general director of Cultural Heritage and Fine Arts of the Ministry of Culture of Spain; among other institutional representatives.

The frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes undertook its last voyage in August 1804 from the port of El Callao and, after crossing Cape Horn, docked in Montevideo (Uruguay), from where it left for Cádiz (Spain) loaded with funds. and other important merchandise. However, attack by the British Navy caused her to sink off the Portuguese coast before she could reach her destination.
Through the history of the frigate, the exhibition, which could be visited between December 2023 and March 2024 at the ARQVA National Museum of Underwater Archeology (state museum dependent on the Ministry of Culture of Spain, located in Cartagena), develops the context historical moment from the perspective of commerce, spirituality or wars. But it also focuses on the threat of looting of underwater sites, such as that suffered by the wreck of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes itself, on the importance of its study based on scientific archaeological campaigns and on the necessary enhancement of the recovered materials. Furthermore, in the case of Uruguay, the exhibition presents Montevideo's relationship with the frigate. On the one hand, it was the last port from which she sailed; and on the other hand, it is linked to the commander of the ship, José de Bustamante y Guerra, who was governor of the city and one of the protagonists of the Malaspina-Bustamante scientific expedition, a trip around the world to investigate the geography, ethnography, fauna and flora of the known lands, which provided a great wealth of knowledge.