Naufrage de l’Olympia 1867

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On February 14, 1867, a violent storm was raging, and a Greek ship called the Olympia was sinking off the coast of Aresquiers in southern France. The ship was carrying sulfur and wheat from Crimea to Marseille with a final stop at Sète. Since 2015, underwater archaeological research by Frontignan's research section has revealed an incredible wooden wreck preserved in mud since its lower deck collapsed into the cargo hold. The yellow crystal blocks attest to international maritime trade history and regional wine production, which was threatened by oidium, a fungus that targets vines, including the prized muscat grape. This variety had already been exported to the United States, where it was discovered over a century earlier by Thomas Jefferson when he was French consul.