Treasure of the lost Dead City of Sana

KANACKI

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Mar 1, 2015
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Hello All

Well not quite lost or dead but interesting the same. It is a site that is virtually unknown to western English speaking people. And hardly known to Spanish Speaking People with virtually no tourists visiting the Spanish Colonial site. And hardly anything written about the site posted on the internet. Its history and importance has fallen under the radar. In Peru today such places like Sana or some times spelled Zana are no so well appreciated as the main tourist dollars is from pre Columbian Inca sites that has captured the worlds imagination. Zana is mere living village today surrounded by the ruins of a once great Spanish City. Boasting nine churches, convents and monasteries. Zana sat in one of few very fertile valleys in Northern Peru.

Sana Founded around 1565 the Spanish Colonial City to rival Lima the "The City of Kings" Growth was fueled by Ecomindas granted to 33 Spaniards and one Italian by the King of Spain. With this Growth several Catholic Orders grew rich also from the prosperity generated by the rich gold and mines to the east, Cattle, food production of Sugar.

Sana had about 121 years of uninterpreted growth. Its religious orders in the city grew wealthy on that wealth. The Franciscans, Augustinians and Dominicans especially had ostentatious displays of gold and silver in their churches. Totally unafraid of the outside world as they had become the masters of their domain quietly paying the Royal firth to the King of Spain.

It is mind boggling to imagine how much Gold and Silver passed through this city either via land or sea to the Royal Mint to Lima then shipped to Panama then to Havana onto Spain. It was all part of the golden cash cow and Spain milked it for all its worth. This golden gravy train attracted the attentions of other Countries who wanted part of the action so in doing so shaped world history in the endless wars to dominate it.

In 1686 William Knight and Edward Davis and a motley band of Buccaneers raided the coast of Northern Peru and marched several miles inland and captured and looted Sana and its great churches. The silver and gold looted amounted in today's values of approximately 250 million. The fate of which sparked treasure legends itself.

Sana had been given a bloody nose. While shocked at the invasion by prates life at Sana went back to business as usual until 34 years later the Sana received its final death blow. In 1720 most of city of Sana was destroyed not by fire or earthquake but by flood. Most of the town was buried and destroyed ...Hundreds drowned and Churches and cathedrals badly damaged. So destroy was the this once glorious city it was left abandoned and survivors build a new City a few miles away safe from flooding. For many years the site became a neglected ruin. Today the new village of Sana has sprang up in among the ruins of the old Spanish City.

Here below in one of the few original Spanish houses to survive the flood and time itself.

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Here is one of old convent ruins below.

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Kanacki
 

Here is some more photographs of the site.

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Kanacki
 

Today Sana can be visited but for me its significance is underestimated....

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Today much of the city lies beneath the mud of farmed fields. Only the larger ruins of churches and convents and monasteries remains of this once vibrate city.

Kanacki
 

The destruction of Sana in the flood of 1720 was so devastation much of the wealth that was in the merchant houses was buried under the mud and flood water that flooded the city. Many treasure caches may still lie buried where the past occupants of houses once stood was washed away.

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Below you can see the damage to bricks that give an indication on how high the flood water rose.

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Kanacki
 

After that devastating flood the authorities moved and establish themselves at Trujillo. The Catholic orders in Sana moved themselves leaving Sana to weeds and ruins forgotten almost to history. But then the golden cash cow was waning and the wealth not so grand as the days in Sana. Trujillo, Payata, Paitia Tumbuz because in the dying days of Spanish empire raiding once again by pirates in 1817.

By the time of independence history has passed them by...

The stories of treasure looted from those still linger....


Kanacki
 

Lord Cochrane called don Hipolito .Villavicencio a professional of Paita and respectable old man who had witnessed the flogging of the sailors and delivered to him ... of La Merced in the following terms: "I am filled with bitter sorrow to know that certain churches have been pilfered in parts of their objects. ... and minute investigation to discover the culprits who dared profane your temples, in order to recover all the objects that had been stolen. Lord Cochrane managed to catch Some but very little of any of treasure that was plundered was ever recovered.

Many of sailors involved in the looting of northern Peru never profited from their looting because they never have the capacity to retrieve treasure they was forced to hide under fear of being executed for piracy. They eventually scattered across the world. Most dying in destitution and poverty.

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Kanacki
 

The looting of churches in Northern Peru. Was the catalyst for treasure legends such as the loot of Lima and stories of church treasure looted...In fact Lima the churches and cathedrals was never looted by Sailors pirate etc... That story came only about around in the late 18th 19th century authors copied off one another with out fact checking and reinforced the legends. The ship Mary Dear in various spelling never existed....The name Mary Dear only came about as it connected in mixed up rumor with a real vessel Mary Dare. Which crew members found gold the size of hens eggs in creek on a island off Canada around 1853. By 1868 That real discovery later got mixed into the legends connected to Church treasure of Lima. And the Real Mary Dare belonging to the Hudson Bay company in 1868 morphed into Thompson Mary Dear and stolen church treasure from Lima story.

Kanacki
 

Here is pictures of one of churches in Trujillo where the various Catholic Church Orders vacated to after Sana was destroyed in the 1720 Flood. The church below was one of several churches looted Payata. Paita Trujillo among others.

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An interesting side note most of gold you see is in fact guided. However the more importance pieces of sacraments and altars pieces was either cast in gold or silver.

While we can put a price on the gold and silver content of such objects of art. As historical and objects of art they are priceless.

Kanacki
 

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Hi Kanacki

Strange, cannot find Sana, Peru - google, duckduck
Have you been there ? Is it/are the farm fields open ? (Can one cut a deal with a farmer ?)
I guess nowadays all such is beyond the pale.
 

Hi Kanacki

Strange, cannot find Sana, Peru - google, duckduck
Have you been there ? Is it/are the farm fields open ? (Can one cut a deal with a farmer ?)
I guess nowadays all such is beyond the pale.

Hello BillA

I have been there twice in 1998-1999. At the time I had other priorities. The site is too big to do a proper search without spending considerable time and resources. Most of the church treasures ended up in cathedrals of Trujello, Payata which was later looted by pirates.

Like this gold crown below.

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Kanacki
 

Hi Kanacki,

Was not envisioning any grand recovery scheme, more like 2 guys driving there with detectors.
Local contact or a guide, get to know some farmers in area or interest (generally the locals know all of this).
Is Peru less sensitive about colonial sites ?
Are detectors permitted in Peru ?

edit: any TNers in Peru ?
 

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Hello BillA

Its been two decades since I have been in Peru. Much has changed or perhaps not? Along the coast they are very conscious of metal detectorist along the coastal strip back then. But all focus was more of pre columbine cultures. Colonial history is seen Colonial occupation and some what neglected. However I am sure if you took the time to meet the locals you would get some permission from some to search the fields. Being a gringo expect to pay a fee and if the local official finds out through the grape vine he might want a bribe. The system over there works with who you know or who is related to who.

When the trio worked for a drilling company we drove around in our company's vehicles with logos on was left virtually unmolested by local officials where ever we went. Local officials was too scared to hinder us because they was afraid of stepping on the toes of their boss up the food chain who has his own possible graft business arrangement with the mining company.

Kanacki
 

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