On the trail of the Father Crespi Collection: A Sad Discovery – Part II
“There is nothing of Padre Crespi’s collection left in our building!” ‘Brother Gatekeeper’ assures us when we arrive at the main portal of the Salesian monastery of Cuenca in Ecuador. “No metal tablets?” I ask. The monk does not conceal how awkward it is for him to answer such questions. I understand. He would often have been asked the same thing. Nevertheless, I keep enquiring: “Where is Padre Crespi’s collection?” The gatekeeper emits a deep sigh: “It was sold in its entirety to the ‘Banco Central’!”
And yet, I will be successful in photographing some of the mysterious objects inside the Monastery. These photos have never before been published. Here, I am showing these images for the first time! They are documents that give evidence of a sad discovery. They show artifacts trampled underfoot—and which have most likely vanished by now!
Photo of metal plate of Father Crespi’s Collection
Photo of metal plate of Father Crespi’s Collection
Photo of metal plate of Father Crespi’s Collection
Photo of metal plate of Father Crespi’s Collection
Photo of metal plate of Father Crespi’s Collection
Esteban Salazar, who is the caretaker of the Crespi Collection at the ‘Banco Central’, interjects: “Our bank has acquired only the terracotta and stone objects! Many of the metal items must still be in your monastery!” ‘Brother Gatekeeper’ promises to enquire about it. We may return in a few hours. Willi Dünnenberger, two other travel companions and I amble along the ‘Gaspar Sangurima’ and the ‘General Torres’ streets.
Investigation
We enjoy the ‘Maria Auxiliadora’ park. It offers respite in a dusty, dirty, and loud city. A monument to Padre Crespi stands there. It is a memorial to the archaeologist and clergyman. We watch as some native inhabitants place flowers at its base. Thus, they remember the padre, who was one of them. With the floral tributes they continue to demonstrate their gratitude ten years after his demise.
At the prearranged time we return to the main portal of the monastery. What a surprise! We are permitted to enter! “There could still be metal tablets from Crespi’s collection…somewhere in the monastery!” ‘Brother Gatekeeper’ explains to me. “May we be permitted to see some of the artifacts?” The monk hesitates. “If there is still such a thing here, then Brother Superior must decide.” The latter would decide about our enquiry. But that could take a while.
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The Salesian gatekeeper cannot fathom this: Some Germans from far away Europe travel to Ecuador, only to inspect Padre Crespi’s allegedly worthless collection. I ask: “Why did Padre Crespi collect worthless metal junk, as well as stone and terracotta artifacts of immense value? Was he unable to distinguish archaeological treasures from useless rubbish?” Brother Superior will answer my questions, if he can spare the time.
Searching for the Truth
Hours of more waiting followed. A statue of Mother Mary in the courtyard of the monastery attracts my attention. It is the ‘helpful Mother of God’, the name-giver of the monastery. I count three levels on the building. There are many windows. A decaying wooden staircase leads up to each of the levels. And suddenly, I make a sad discovery—everywhere I look I see metal plates and tablets, some of them merely millimeters thin—they contain mysterious symbols. They are the artifacts from Padre Crespi’s collection. The monks used them to repair the stairs, the walls, and the floors.
Photo of metal plate of Father Crespi’s Collection used to line walls.
A young brother follows me around, step by step. I point to one of the metal plates. “Is this from Padre Crespi’s collection?” He nods. When I ready my camera, the otherwise taciturn monk snaps at me: “No Photos!” During the ensuing hours, I walk back and forth, up and down the monastery courtyard, under the constant, watchful eye of my guardian. And yet, I succeed in taking several photos—without looking through the viewfinder, ‘free-hand’ as it were.
Repeatedly, I pace around the courtyard, climb the partly rotten stairs, walk past barred windows…
Are the treasures, which have allegedly been sold to the ‘Banco Central’, where only the ceramic and stone items arrived, behind those windows? One of the monks reveals to me that, since Däniken’s publishing of Aussaat und Kosmos, veritable armies of travellers followed the trail of the Swiss author, wanting to see the metal tablets. The monastery inhabitants had fobbed them off with the advice: “Everything was sold to the bank!” The small trick worked! The monk gives me a mischievous grin.
Sad Discovery
Are they hiding Crespi’s metal objects behind some of the locked doors? Each time I approach one of them, my guardian cleverly prevents me from getting near one of the windows. A plaque on one of the doors refers to the dead Padre Crespi, and his work for the poorest of the poor in Cuenca.
The hope of seeing at least a few of Crespi’s metal tablets led me to visit the Salesian monastery in Cuenca. First, the monks denied that there were metal objects still present in the monastery, and then they admitted to it. But I saw only disappointing evidence. I was forced to make a sad discovery. The community reveres Padre Crespi almost like a saint. In ‘his monastery’, however, his mysterious legacy is literally being trampled underfoot.
Carved metallic plates from Father Crespi’s collection strewn on the floor in a dilapidated old building. Credit: Ancient-Origins.net
The Future of the Collection
Esteban Salazar still has hope. He intends to reconstruct a ‘Crespi Collection’ and make it accessible to the public. Will he succeed? I have my doubts! My secretly taken photos date from 1992. Twenty-four years later, Crespi’s artifacts, used to repair the floors and stairs of the monastery, are probably lost forever.
One can read a book, only to be sent on a long journey. In 1972, I devoured Erich von Däniken’s third international bestseller, Aussaat und Kosmos. In 1992, I travelled to Ecuador, tracking Padre Crespi’s mysterious collection. A decade after the demise of the beloved clergyman, the collected metal objects faced oblivion, but were still—at least partly—in existence. Why do the inhabitants of the Salesian monastery so zealously disregard Padre Crespi’s legacy?
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Are the artifacts truly only worthless junk? Or are they a part of a valuable treasure that is still hidden? Erich von Däniken pointed to such a treasure in a gigantic cave system: Nonsense or Truth? I investigated, and searched for a trail…and made a discovery!
The perhaps largest archaeological treasure is still waiting to be unearthed in Ecuador. To date, no one embarked upon such an exploration. Are the members of the established World of Science afraid of disagreeable findings?
Walter J. Langbein is author of some 60 non-fiction books on mysteries of the world, many of which have become bestsellers in Europe.
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Ancient Origins Expedition
To see more about Ancient Origin’s own investigations into the facts behind Father Crespi and his missing artifacts, check out “The Truth About Father Crespi and His Missing Artifacts Finally Revealed” and “Father Crespi Mystery Deepens: Ancient Origins Urged to Drop Further Investigations”.
Follow Ancient Origins’ Expedition to Tayos Caves and Never Before Seen Photographs
And learn first-hand about the Ancient Origins expedition and research in the exclusive Ancient Origins Premium Webinar with Dr Ioannis Syrigos: The Mystery of Father Crespi & the Missing Golden Artifacts
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Top Image: Photo of metal plate from Father Crespi’s collection. (Credit: Walter J Langbein)
Unless otherwise noted, images courtesy author Walter J. Langbein.
Translation: Marlies Bugmann
References
Bürgin, Luc: “Lexikon der verbotenen Archäologie/Mysteriöse Relikte von A bis Z”, Rottenburg, December 2009, Pg. 61
Fell, Berry: “America B.C.”, New York 1976, Pg. 184
Comments
I visited Father Crespi 10 years before E von Daneken and saw & spoke with Father Crespi. When you walked into the room, immediately on the right shelf was a bust of Nefartiti. At the back of the room were the door size placks that looked like proto hieraglyphic of pictographs . Some were made of gold & there were also some in silver but the majority were copper or brass. The amateur ‘adventurers’ that went to check it out’ should have done their research, as their lack of knowledge & disrespect is wholly baffeling . Obviously anything that was of precious metal would have been removed (either by the Vatican or govt thieves). Furthermore if all of Cuenca were ‘artisans’ the whole town could not have made all the aritfacts as there were too many styles. Surely the more rustic ones could be local fabrications but not all of them & where would they get all the ancient Babylonian symbols & details ? In the 1950 & 60’s the local population was far from sophicated being mostly farmers. Furthermore Father Crespi said to me that the objects were discovered in caves & that the students helped bring them down . The students also discovered mummies all wrapped up , but the older boys threw them into the river. (as was the custom. ?) Overall I found the ‘investigation’ very unprepared & insulting. Did they as any specialist or anthropologist to identify any of the objects ? The Assyrian piece was of a better quality & I viewed several pieces that were of museum quality ancient craftmanship, that no local could ‘reproduce’. It would of been helpful if there were professional comments , rather than opinions. Also Father Crespi mentioned that several prestigious universities examined his collection but there seems to be no record found to date ? Overall Father Crespi believed that other cultures had visited South America before the Europeans invaded & in 2021 this has been established !
UM
Marior, thank you for your kind comment!
Awesome article. I just wish there was more on Father Crespi himself.
Thank you for your comment. In my article I simply report, that I saw the artifacts in the monastery of the now deceased Father Crespi. I describe them as artifacts, as they are man made. Every object, created by man, is called artifact, "facere" in Latin means "to make". Interesting in my opinion are the motives, depicted on the sheets of metal. Father Crespi's sculptures and pottery are not the subject of my travelogue. They were sold to a Museum for a considerable amount of money. The title of my article clarifies my intentions: On the trail of the Father Crespi Collection.
Jason, do not be so fast to dismiss the artifacts, when it is obvious you came at a date when they were all dispersed. Obviously any made of precious metal (which I saw in the 1960’s) either were ‘stolen’, ended up in private collections or in the Vatican. Now in the 21 century, it has been proven that other cultures visited South America before europeans & ‘we’ should stop being so eurocentric. Did you know that in the centre of the Amazon, an ancient city was discovered that was just as sophisticated as ancient Rome & Athens & in use until the Europeans arrived in the 16th century.
UM
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