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Letter in a bottle from 1886 found during construction work on railway line

The Museum of History in Belovo
Photo: belovo.bg

Construction workers of the high-speed railway line between the stations at Septemvri and Kostenets found a note sealed inside the bottle for the generations to come.

The message is from the builders of the old bridge over Maritsa river at Belovo. It is in Italian and is decorated with different ornaments. The text shows the builders were aware of how important their work is: “A bridge built in 1886, during the reign of Ottoman Emperor Abdul Hamid.  Built by the company Vitalis. Chief Engineer Niccolo Limon, Master Mason Pietro Macar. 19 June 1886.”

Finding the bottle is a thrilling encounter between different generations of builders, and a way to honour the people who have contributed to the building of modern Bulgaria after 1878, the museum workers from the museum in Belovo say.



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