Vernian inspiration, from the "Nautilus" in search of the treasures of the Battle of Rande.

According to the narration of "Twenty thousand leagues of underwater travel" on such a day as today Captain Nemo, the protagonist of the most famous of the novels of adventures of Julio Verne, entered on board his emblematic ship in our ría and put the bow of the mysterious boat to the Strait of Rande in order to find the riches that the Spanish Galeons of the Fleet of the Silver (destroyed in the battle of 1702 against English and Dutch) had since hidden in their wineries and in the mud of the bottom of the sea.

Julio Verne, the French writer who imagined in his books some of the great creations of the future, wrote this work in the form of a newspaper. Thus we know that the action begins in 1866, when several ships are sunk by a strange marine creature. In June 1867, the frigate Abraham Lincoln sailed from the New York docks to the hunting of the responsible monster. And as a scientific adviser, the zoologist Aronnax travels, accompanied by his butler.

After months of fruitless search, on November 7, 1867, the frigate is embellished by the monster and fall into the water Aronnax and its steward Conseil, as well as the Canadian whale arponer Ned Land. Swimming comes to what they think is an island but discover that it is actually a submarine that has emerged to pick up the naphrases. In the following months, the ship crosses Ecuador, sees the Marquesas Islands, passes the New Hébridas (25 December) and has a fight with the Aborigines of Papua (9 January). Finally, it crosses the Strait of Gibraltar and enters the river of Vigo on 18 February 1868. It will be a short scale, with a single objective: to access the true flow box of Captain Nemo, the treasure of the fleet sunk in the battle of Rande. After being loaded with wealth recovered by divers, the Nautilius enrows to the Cis Islands and leaves the river to arrive the next day to Atlantis, located very close, according to the novel.

"Well, Mr. Aronnax, we're in Vigo Bay and it's only up to you to know your secrets. "With this phrase, Captain Nemo invites his prisoner, biologist Pierre Aronnax, to attend one of the most well-off moments by archaeologists, historians and hunters: to recover the gold from the Rade galleons. The Ria de Vigo was dedicated to Julio Verne the eighth episode of the second book of the novel and thanks to this chapter Vigo became part of the history of universal literature by the hand of one of the most often translated novels. By the end of the 19th century, the myth of the riches of the Silver Fleet had already moved many adventurers from various backgrounds who, with the rudimentary methods of the time, tried to find the dream treasure that Captain Nemo would finally find in fiction.

The spectacular "Saint Michelle" that went on a number of occasions in Vigo during the 19th century.

A few years after the date of the book's action, Julio Verne will spend four days in Vigo, from 1 to 4 June 1878, on board his yacht Saint Michel III and will return to it in May 1884. On both occasions he will visit the city and participate in the social life of the moment.

The novelist of Nantes wrote in his diary the most important facts of his travels and so we can know something about what he did in Vigo during those days of the late 19th century. He attended the procession of the Christ of Victory (which was held at the time in June) and also enjoyed the parties of the Reconquist in this month (in his notes he notes: "The Feast for Independence Received in 1809 on the French. Fireworks. Music. Admission to the Casino. Recent church, murmuring, no chairs"), will visit by boat the bay of San Simón that he had described in his work, will participate in the dance of the recreational society "La Tertulia" and will meet with the local political authorities and other vigues of the business and intellectual world of the time that will celebrate the arrival of the very famous writer, including Manuel Bárcena Franco, future Count of Torreciddeira, the military commander of the square, General Manuel Llorente and the French viceconsul Francisco Tapas Pasquual. When he returns in 1884 he will again count on his personal notes the entrance to the river contemplating the Cis islands and the posterior fondeo already in port. You will have a coffee in the Plaza de la Constitución and the next day you will take a good walk up to the fortress of O Castro ("admirable view. The bay and the valleys," he writes).

One of the sunken galleons in Rande and the cover of 20,000 Leagues of Undersea Journey.

A local newspaper dated June 3, 1878 reads: "At the same time as the Flore released the anchor in this port, a nice yatch of steam with French pavilion came across the river; it was the Saint Michel Nantes, owned by the popular novelist Julio Verne, who with other friends goes by the Mediterranean, where he plans to visit some of the populations of Spain. The famous novelist was on the Alameda promenade last night, and later went to the dance of La Tertulia, where he delivered some Spanish-language toast, which were answered by Mr. Bárcena (D.Manuel) as president of the sociedad.- It is clear that Mr. Verne, who has very much liked the geographical position of Vigo and his picturesque countryside, has also taken a pleasant memory of the Viguese society that he had the opportunity to meet under one of its most beautiful aspects, in a dance of La Tertulia". He would also take advantage of the visit to make repairs and some adjustments on his ship, which were run by the industrial Antonio Sanjurjo Badía, who had a workshop and a small shipyard in the Arenal.

The area of Guixar in Vigo (at the foot of the Peninsula of La Guía) where Catalan industrialists settled.

Julio Verne (Nantes, 1828 - Amiens, 1905) wrote "Twenty thousand leagues of underwater travel" in 1869 the first part and 1870 the second part, after two other famous novels, "Five weeks on the globe" and "Journey to the center of the earth" and within the series of "Extraordinary travel" published in collaboration with the editor Pierre-Jules Hetzel. He then became a writer of universal fame. Over time, his works had a great influence on avant-garde literature and surrealism and since 1979 he has been the second most translated author in the world, after Agatha Christie. He is considered, along with H.G. Wells, the "father of science fiction." It was decorated with the Legion of Honor for its contributions to education and science.

In 1877 he bought his yacht the Saint Michel III for the sum of 55,000 francs. It had been built in the Jollet & Babin shipyards of Nantes, in principle for another owner, the Marquis de Prélaux, and once it was finished he sold it to the writer. It was a mixed sailing and steam yacht of 38 tons, with a length of 31 meters, steel helmet, 2 sticks, and a 2-cylinder and 100-CV machine that allowed it to speed up to 10 knots. He had a crew of 10 with his captain. I mean, it was a real luxury of a millionaire.

Julio Verne

On board the Saint Michel III July Verne he made four great cruises: the first for the Mediterranean in 1878, when he visited Vigo, the second in 1879 for England and Scotland, the third in 1881 for Germany and Holland and the last in 1884 also for the Mediterranean and stressing in Vigo again. The 1878 Vigo was a city of 13,500 inhabitants that was beginning to grow in an important way. Alfonso XII reigned in Spain after the monarchical restoration of 1874 with the pronouncement of Sagunto of General Martínez Campos and the council of ministers was presided over by Antonio Cannovas del Castillo. In 1870, the New Population project had been approved, by which it would be completed, winning the sea, the area between Laxe Street and the current Colón Street. For several years the works undertaken by the entrepreneur Emilio García Olloqui would cover with large stones and land the entire area that today form the square of Compostela, the street Luís Taboada and Montero Ríos. The Alameda will become the main place to walk and to meet the viguese.

Julio Verne and the "Nautilus" plans.

In 1872 the project was approved to improve the Laxe Pier, of stone, which was the embarkation for the passenger boats that arrived from the ships of the river and in 1875 the Trade, built of wood for the discharge of goods. By 1873, the English of the Eastern Telegraph Company, that is, the English Cable, had already been installed, whose first offices to handle underwater communications between Vigo and Potcurn in England were located on Royal Street and from 1876 on the 31st of Prince's Street. In addition, the new railway station is completed in 1878 at the same location as the current one in Urzáiz.

The then Vigues read among others the Faro de Vigo, the Diario de Vigo, La Concordia or the magazine La Illustración Española y Americana. In Vigo, people from other provinces who would start to go by train as well as by boat to enjoy their climate and beaches were already greeted. One of them was the famous humorist of the time, born in Vigo but resident in Madrid, Luis Taboada Coca (the one in the street mentioned above) who well met the illustrious novelist. In his fleeting visit Julio Verne was able to be housed in one of the hotels that there was then, the Europe or the Trade though he certainly did in the Continental which was the most luxurious and close to the port.

The old Viguese Trade Dome that would destroy a storm in the 20th century.

Other residents of the city in the late 19th century who could see and even meet the writer of Nantes were teachers such as Elías Pérez, founder of the College of Humanities (where for example he had studied Admiral Méndez Núñez), or as Ricardo Solleiro or Francisco de Paula Novoa. Also entrepreneurs such as Ángel de Lema, founder of the Faro de Vigo, José García Barbón, great patron of the city, Francisco Martínez Villoch, Augusto Barcena Franco and Jorge Pérez Sala, owners of the Tamberlick, the conserveres Victor and Ramón Curbera Puig, the consignee of ships of the Mala Real Inglesa Estanislao Durán, politicians such as Eduardo Iglesias Añino, lawyer and mayor, Joaquín Yáñez, several times mayor of Vigo, or José Elduayen and Gorriti, deputy of Pontevedra on numerous occasions and the Minister of Arroes, as Carlos or in the most recent of the time of the city, as the architects of Arroguera, as Manuel or in the two. In 1883, the best known of these, the Dr., would die. Nicolás Taboada Leal (the other Taboada that has a dedicated street, but this is the one that crosses that of Venezuela until the Round of Don Bosco).

When the French return in 1884 he will find that the city is already connected by train with Orense, because in 1881 the line had been opened. There will also be the Municipal Savings Fund of Vigo since 1880, being mayor Manuel Bárcena, the Puerto Works Board, also since 1881, the electric light or the Tamberlick Theatre erected in 1882. The oldest theatre was that of the Princess's square built in 1832 thanks to Velázquez Moreno. The life of the city then revolved around the plaza de la Constitución, de la Piedra, la Princesa and the recreational areas were the Campo de Granada and recently the new of the Alameda in the filling.

The Alameda of Vigo in 1880

In recent times the olive city has recalled the relationship that existed almost 150 years ago between the Atlantic villa and the French novelist, the Nautilius and its commander Captain Nemo, the most significant show being the bronze sculpture of Julio Verne on an octopus opened on October 17, 2005 in the Avenida and made by the Vigués José Molares and the sculptural ensemble of Captain Nemo, of the artists Ramón Lastra and Sergio Portela, in the enada of San Simón.

This year will be the first summer week in Vigo. It is organized by a brewery that already tells a quarter of a century of history: La Leyenda, on and after Venezuela Street is the Vigo Summer Societywhich was founded in 2012. There will be an exhibition of engravings on Julio Verne, music, children's contactos and a talk by Eduardo Rolland, who published a study for the Hispanic Society Jules Verne where the dates on which Nemo and his men had made the mythical journey of 20,000 leagues across the underwater world on board the Nautilius were analyzed.

Eduardo Galovart