Shipbuilder’s model of the reconstruction of the carrack Santa María

This model was built in 1892 for the rebuilding of this carrack, made at La Carraca naval base to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America.

The design decisions on this reconstruction of the carrack, similar in shape to a square-rigged caravel, were taken by a committee chaired by Casimiro de Bona, General of the Naval Engineering Corps, and comprising the naval captain Cesáreo Fernández Duro and the artist Rafael Monleón. The academics Aureliano Fernández-Guerra and Juan de Dios de la Rada y Delgado also took part. A new commission, created on April 21, 1892, was responsible for the project. The commission was made up of the naval captain Cesáreo Fernández Duro (president), first Lieutenant and Ministry officer, Francisco Cardona; the Naval Museum’s conservator, Rafael Monleón; and purser Francisco Gómez Símico (secretary); with second chief engineer, Leopoldo Puente, overseeing the building of the vessel. The model was built by Miguel López Leal, head of the mold-loft at the La Carraca naval base.

The model has an upper deck and forecastle. The latter has a poop deck, a circular stern with a forepeak that is not especially pronounced, a straight keel, and a rudder. It is a square-rigged vessel with mainsail and topsail, foremast and fore-topsail, spritsail, and lateen sail. A dinghy or auxiliary vessel is stowed on the deck.