The city has also had the courage to expe-
riment with new materials for the recovery
of its thousand years old historic herita-
ge as well as for the construction of new
contemporary buildings, such as those
used to build the new convention hall, the
prestigious Batel, which was designed with
innovative materials that were used for the
first time in the exterior walls of a building
thanks to which, its interior is very luminous
and light.
The number of tourists who visit Cartagena
increased for yet another year in compari-
son with the previous one. Nearly 190,000
visitors came last summer to discover this
city whose name is the epitome of the Me-
diterranean.
The exhibit on the Treasure of the Nues-
tra Señora de las Mercedes frigate will
be inaugurated shortly, a collection of 17
tonnes of silver and gold coins recovered
from the bottom of the sea and transport
by this Spanish vessel that was attacked by
English pirates.
The half million coins were minted in Peru
and represent one of the most important
treasures ever recovered from the ocean. It
is not the only treasure, however, since the
city is full of them. Cartagena is a city that
never ceases to surprise us. A few weeks
ago, investigators from the Sub-Aquatic Ar-
chaeological National Museum discovered
a Roman ship dating back to the end of the
4th or the beginning of the 5th century at
the bottom of the harbour and another one
that sank at the end of the 18th century.
Cartagena’s Auditorium and Convention Hall. Its location near the harbour and the sea inspired its design.
The widespread presence of cruise ships at Cartagena Harbour is becoming
increasingly more frequent.
