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Message:: [QUOTE="Dafydd, post: 26397179, member: 86815"]Following on from [USER=10461]@lordmarcovan[/USER] 's Douro post and by a sheer coincidence purchase this week I thought I would follow up with some more comments. I stumbled across a bottle of wine this week named Duoro so had to buy it. I haven’t tried it yet but if it is any good, for the benefit of any UK members, it is in Aldi this week and under £6 a bottle, the price no doubt reflected by the fact that not a lot of Portuguese wine is sold in the UK. I need to open it because if its any good I want to keep one anyway as a quirky coin association. I'll report if it is palatable.[ATTACH=full]1684089[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]1684090[/ATTACH] Shipwreck coins are one of my favourite “rabbit holes” because one can discover and learn about people ,events, trade, commerce, and politics. I recently joined the 1715 Fleet Society because the Spanish / South American history is a subject that could keep me busy for years. One of the aspects of shipwreck coins, apart from the obvious, is who owned the ships and what was the explanation for the name of the ship. First port of call was Wikipedia to learn about what Douro meant, and I found out  it is a famous river in Portugal. While the RMS Douro never entered the river for which it was named, the ship’s connection to the Douro River region of Portugal is a poignant one, linking a maritime disaster with a place of immense natural beauty and economic significance. This post explores the Douro River, a waterway that meanders through Spain and Portugal, and the rich history and culture it has shaped, particularly its renowned connection to wine and, most notably, port wine. The Douro River: A Geographical and Cultural Lifeline The Douro, known as the Duero in Spain, is the Iberian Peninsula's largest river by discharge. Rising in the Sistema Ibérico mountains of Spain, it flows generally westward through the northern Meseta Central before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Porto, Portugal. Its 897-kilometer length makes it the third-longest river in the peninsula. For 112 kilometres, the river forms a natural border between Spain and Portugal, carving through narrow canyons that historically served as a barrier to invasion. In these isolated areas, the river is protected by the International Douro Natural Park on the Portuguese side and the Arribes del Duero Natural Park on the Spanish side. Once it fully enters Portugal, the Douro's character changes, winding through deep, scenic valleys before reaching the sea. A River of Wine and Port The Douro River is synonymous with wine, particularly the world-famous port wine. The "Douro Vinhateiro," or vine-land, of the Douro Valley in Portugal has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its long-standing devotion to viticulture. The region’s unique mesoclimate, with its steep, terraced slopes, is ideal for cultivating olives, almonds, and, most importantly, grapes. For centuries, the wine produced in this region was transported downriver in traditional flat-bottomed boats called rabelos. These boats carried barrels of wine to the cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia, a city just across the river from Porto, where the wine was stored and aged. Today, tanker trucks have replaced the rabelos for transport, but the port wine tradition remains deeply embedded in the region's identity. The area around Pinhão and São João da Pesqueira is considered the heart of port production, home to numerous quintas, or wine estates, that dot the steep river valleys. The Douro's economic importance is not limited to wine. In the 1960s and 1970s, a series of dams were constructed along the river, not only to regulate water flow and generate hydroelectric power but also to allow for navigation into the upper regions, opening up the river to commercial and tourist traffic. Fifteen dams now punctuate the Douro, with five in Portugal featuring locks that allow vessels to travel from Porto to the Spanish border. This has fostered a prosperous tourist industry, with river excursions from Porto offering a unique way to experience the stunning landscapes of the Douro Valley.<img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Rio_Douro_-_Portugal_%2832615481975%29_%28cropped%29.jpg/330px-Rio_Douro_-_Portugal_%2832615481975%29_%28cropped%29.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> <img src="https://www.google.com/maps/vt/data=Z6fIzxslHppC-ZpQ1Som_BMOg9sWkR2vQJNmr4AFNbb84K9oJXk62QMJPaW6VIB5X26CN6jMEG4RICN2i2yQbJPgSvwzyOa8WJY0cEKnuy7EfItNQJmgi0YXfd6zIf79k25iqFW3pW0mQxCCWLJr1lQIavEUkf4MexzMZA4htRJgM0FJysQKC6oGT7CJwKyb9YZ_OSmfZhILhCCaIKGrag4nXijUFNf-CxmTbXtx6IpYgJY967hy3giikOuZ_meAgPKlHFyb8HRm" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> A River of History and Heritage Beyond its economic and natural significance, the Douro holds a rich history. The river's name is believed to have Celtic or pre-Indo-European origins, with a possible connection to the Latin name Durius. In Roman times, the river was personified as a god, Durius, a testament to its long-standing importance to the region's inhabitants. The Douro railway line, completed in 1887, follows the river's course, connecting Porto to key towns in the interior. This line was crucial for transporting goods, including wine, and remains an important part of the region's infrastructure and a popular way for tourists to see the valley. Near the small city of Foz Côa, a tributary of the Douro reveals the Côa Valley Paleolithic Art site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with ancient rock carvings that are considered a significant part of the archaeological prehistoric patrimony. To take this further I wondered what the connection was and if maybe the owner , The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company had Portuguese owners which seemed unusual as they were a British Company, and this is what I discovered. the name RMS Douro, like many of the company's ships, was directly linked to the routes and services it provided. Here's what my further research reveals about the connection: <ul> <li>A Key Stop on the Route: The RMS Douro operated on the company's "South Atlantic" route. This was a critical and prosperous service that ran between the UK and South America. A vital part of this journey, and a major stop for the RMS Douro, was Lisbon, Portugal. The ship would often embark and disembark passengers and cargo there, including a significant amount of Portuguese wine, as it did on its final voyage. I couldn’t find reference to the wine in the accounts I found of the sinking.</li> <li>A Naming Convention: The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company had a distinct practice of naming its ships after major rivers along their routes. This wasn't a one-off for the Douro. A look at the company's fleet list shows a clear pattern:<ul> <li>Thames, Medway, Severn, Clyde: Naming ships after British rivers, often those near the shipyards where they were built.</li> <li>Amazon, Orinoco, La Plata: Naming ships after South American rivers, reflecting the company's primary destination for its mail and passenger services.</li> <li>Tagus, Douro, Mondego: Naming ships after major Portuguese rivers, as Portugal was a crucial hub on the route to South America. The Tagus (Rio Tejo) is the river that flows through Lisbon, while the Douro is the river of Porto, another significant port city and economic centre/</li> </ul></li> </ul>So, while the RMS Douro never physically entered the Douro River itself, it was named as a tribute to its connection to the region and its role in the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company's extensive network that served Portugal. The name was a clear sign of its purpose and the important stop it made in Lisbon on its transatlantic journeys. The company's business model was about connecting the British Empire and Europe with its far-flung territories and trading partners, and Portugal was a key point on that map. The name "Douro" served as a proud and practical reflection of that vital link.PS,I did try the wine and it is well worth buying. You can sometimes judge the quality of the wine by the cork and this had no cork! Nevertheless. I've tasted a lot worse.[/QUOTE]

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