Over the past three decades, the waters off the coast of Croatia have yielded some of the most important underwater discoveries of all time. The late sixteenth-century Venetian shipwreck found in the shallows off Sveti Pavao (Saint Paul), near the island of Mljet, in the southern coast of Croatia (Dalmatia), makes the top-ten list of shipwrecks in Croatian underwater cultural heritage. Known since the 1990s, not only is it the first undisturbed Croatian shipwreck to have been systematically excavated and studied, but the variety of its cargo represents a unique assemblage documenting the vitality of commerce between Venice and the Sublime Porte. Launched in 1567 (the year on the ship's bell), the merchant ship sank no later than 1580, on its way home from the Levantine markets, probably attacked by pirates along the Adriatic coast.

This volume is a detailed account of the archaeological excavation, research, and study of the Sveti Pavao shipwreck. The excavation was carried out between 2007 and 2012, as a result of the collaboration between the Department of Underwater Archaeology of the Croatian Conservation Institute and the Department of Humanistic Studies of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. In addition to the introduction (chapter 1) and conclusion (chapter 5), followed by a technical appendix detailing the conservation and restoration processes of the artifacts recovered from the site, the book consists mainly of three sections. The first section (chapter 2) presents the “Methodological and Technical Aspects,” including contributions discussing the discovery, techniques, and research methods (I. Miholjek and D. Perkić), the photogrammetric method used in documenting the excavation (C. Alfonso), the photographic documentation (R. Mosković), and the 3-D reconstruction of the extant portion of the hull, consisting of the mast step, keelson, floor timbers, futtocks, and inner and outer planks (E. Costa). The second section (chapter 3) discusses the significance of the Sveti Pavao shipwreck within its “Historical and Archaeological Maritime Context.” The contribution by S. Gelichi analyzes the pottery assemblage recovered from the wreck site, establishing that the majority of the ceramic wares was part of the ship's cargo, a unique feature considering that pottery from other post-medieval shipwrecks found along the Dalmatian coast, such as the Gnalić and the Koločep shipwrecks, are mostly part of the ship's equipment. Beltrame contextualizes the Sveti Pavao shipwreck by providing a detailed archaeological account of other Venetian shipwrecks dating from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century that have been found not only along the maritime routes crossing the Mediterranean but also in the Atlantic Ocean (specifically in England and Ireland). The third and last section (chapter 4) is devoted to the interpretation of “The Shipwreck of Mljet” and opens with a further contribution by Beltrame, presenting an analysis of the ship's equipment and the crew's personal possessions. Of great interest is Beltrame's discussion of the hull's remains (6 × 3.7 m), in which the author conclusively demonstrates that the ship was Venetian built on the strength of distinctive construction features, such as the framing pattern, joints, and the double planking integrated as a structural component. The bronze artillery, consisting of seven swivel guns of Venetian manufacture (two petriere da braga and five moschetti) and one muzzle-loading esmeril of uncertain origin, is presented by I. Mihajlović. The cargo itself is divided into categories and is discussed by various contributors: V. Zmaić Kralj analyzes the Iznik pottery and the Saxon silver thalers; M. Ferri presents the glassware of Ottoman production; the metal assemblage—the ship's bell, several kitchen wares, fragments of candlesticks, a scale platter, and various lead and ferrous items—are examined by J. Bezak. The fifty Ottoman akçe, circulating from 1512 until 1595, are presented by G. Kürkman. T. Trbojević Vukičević conducts an analysis of animal bones, and S. Gelichi presents the ceramic wares used by the crew. A final contribution, by C. Beltrame, on the dating of the ship, concludes this section.

Although only a small portion of the wreck site has been excavated, this volume clearly presents the full potential of the Sveti Pavao shipwreck. As a maritime historian and nautical archaeologist, I hope that other successful excavation seasons will further our knowledge and understanding of post-medieval Venetian wrecks.