Diver finds centuries-old artifacts — linked to a naval battle — off Italy coast
Off the coast of Sicily, Italy, a scuba diver scanned the seafloor for anything that looked man-made or generally just interesting. Two items caught his attention — and for good reason.
They turned out to be centuries-old artifacts linked to a naval battle.
Fabio Portella, a professional diver who has worked with marine archaeologists for years, was surveying the seabed near Fontane Bianche when he found two artifacts, Sicily’s Superintendence of the Sea told McClatchy News in an April 17 email.
Archaeologists identified the finds as a centuries-old ship rudder and cannon, the department said in an April 17 Facebook post.
The shallower artifact, the rudder, was within sight of nearby swimmers and at risk of being stolen or damaged so a team of technicians recovered it, officials said. A photo shows the rectangular wooden rudder, which measured about 16 feet long and weighed about 1,760 pounds.
The roughly 8-foot-long cannon sits about 160 feet underwater and hasn’t been recovered, officials said. A photo shows the crusty-looking weaponry, which likely dates between the 16th and 18th centuries.
Based on historical accounts and previously found artifacts, officials linked the cannon and rudder to the 1718 Battle of Capo Passero, a naval battle between the British and Spanish. The battle lasted about a day with the more numerous British fleet sinking several Spanish ships, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich.
The Battle of Capo Passero took place in the lead-up to the War of the Quadruple Alliance in which Spain fought against Austria, Britain, France and the Dutch between 1718 and 1720, according to Britannica.
A video, shared on Facebook by the Italian news outlet Siracusa Post, shows the centuries-old artifacts.
Officials said they plan to further analyze the finds.
Fontane Bianche is along the southwestern coast of Sicily, an island off the southern coast of Italy.
Google Translate was used to translate the Facebook post and email from Sicily’s Superintendence of the Sea and Facebook post from Siracusa Post.
This story was originally published April 18, 2025 at 10:05 AM with the headline "Diver finds centuries-old artifacts — linked to a naval battle — off Italy coast."
