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The Mysterious Story Of Father Carlo Crespi

pogi

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pogi Grand Master

pogi

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I just discovered this fascinating story of Father Carlo Crespi today. 

 

 Can anybody tell me more about this?

 

http://issuu.com/pepe100/docs/crespi_ancient_artifact_collection_of_cuenca__ecua

 

Father Carlo Crespi, who was born in Milan, lived in Cuenca, Ecuador, for more than 50 years before his death in 1982. He was a priest of the Church of Maria Auxiliadora. Crespi was accepted by the Indians as a real friend. They used to bring him presents from their hiding places. Finally the Father had so many precious objects stored in his house and the church that one day he received permission from the Vatican to open a museum. This museum in the Salesian School at Cuenca grew and grew until in 1960 it was one of the biggest museums in Ecuador, and Crespi was recognized as an archaeological authority. But he has always been a rather embarrassing servant of his church, for he asserts vehemently that he can prove that there was a direct connection between the Old World (Babylon) and the New World (pre-Inca civilizations); and that goes right against prevailing opinion. http://strangedaze.doomby.com/pages/the-metal-library-ecuador.html#22xRcs9stmR2HHfr.99 
(Scroll down to"The Crespi Ancient Artifact Collection of Cuenca, Ecuador")

 

Others were replete with the engravings of incongruous animals--elephants, snakes, jaguars, wild beasts of every kind. The images of horse-drawn chariots were clearly etched into metal, calling to mind Juan Moricz's description of "a Roman chariot" in his underground chamber.

A number of gold plates are covered with graphic characters which may be some kind of ancient writing that probably is oldest ever known in the world! One of the golden plates is subdivided in 56 squares, each one filled with a different graphic character.

http://www.messagetoeagle.com/fathercrespi.php#.Vg2fXHv0B_M

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Zakuska Grand Master

Zakuska

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Fun Stuff:

Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, was a member of a 1976 British military scientific expedition in search of the caves in Ecuador, but ended up in the wrong caves, following von Daniken’s directions.

http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-americas/father-crespi-and-missing-golden-artefacts-001196

 

 

Do a search for "Metal Library".

https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome-psyapi2&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8&q=metal%20library&oq=metal%20library&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.2711j0j7

 

Video of Father Crespi

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=10&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CFgQtwIwCWoVChMIgsXbramiyAIVBzOICh0ggwOH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DBD7Y-fT5rWI&usg=AFQjCNGCaHleIT0oJ4Urxjnb8wUkjmBtbA&sig2=svay9M21nntKLULlol8HQw

 

Cueva_de_los_Tayos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cueva_de_los_Tayos

Edited by Zakuska
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Zakuska Grand Master

Zakuska

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Previous discussions of this:

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/55830-cueva-de-los-tayos/

More about the Mormon connection to the Treasure of Carlo Crespi:

In 1969 the First Presidency of the LDS Church ask BYU Professor Paul Cheesman, to follow up on the claims that ancient Book of Mormon-type tablets and artifcacts had recently been discovered in Ecuador. Cheesman, along with a few colleagues left Sal Lake City in August of 1975 and flew to Ecuador for the purpose of interviewing Juan Moricz about Father Carlos Crespi and his knowledge of the ancient artifacts. Obtaining ssuch an appoitnment was difficult but arranged through Moricz's attorney, Dr Gerardo Pena.

https://books.google.com/books?id=vzLrT4D1XJYC&pg=SA6-PA29&lpg=SA6-PA29&dq=cheeseman+mormon+expedition+Tayos&source=bl&ots=GgWhOJ8ewk&sig=VyCXM-E9ds0Vr92zKtVa-Xeu0O8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAmoVChMIwpqqzdakyAIVTpmICh0dYAkL#v=onepage&q=cheeseman%20mormon%20expedition%20Tayos&f=false Edited by Zakuska
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jkwilliams Grand Master

jkwilliams

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Lest we get too excited about this, remember that no one (not even Father Crespi) knows the provenance of these items, no one has seen any of these items in more than 30 years, and they have never been subject to any kind of examination.

Cool stuff, yes, but hardly something to pin apologetic hopes on.

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Zakuska Grand Master

Zakuska

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No one has seen the collection in 30 years?

many of the items collected by Padre Carlo Crespi are housed in the Crespi Collection of Old World Artifacts in Cuenca, Ecuador.  
Ultimately, the Central Bank of Ecuador purchased the entire Crespi Collection for four hundred thousand dollars. It considered 6500 pieces as legitimate;
1000 pieces on display in a Museum.

All one needs do is look in a Museum.

 

https://books.google.com/books?id=_6ZzBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT47&lpg=PT47&dq=carlo+crespi&source=bl&ots=jg8Uag3Zwg&sig=JmGAvksomMssNj657VIv-oKRBIM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBDgyahUKEwiCwqug4aTIAhWCNogKHfIeBQY#v=onepage&q=carlo%20crespi&f=false

Edited by Zakuska
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jkwilliams Grand Master

jkwilliams

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As far as I can tell, your citation is the only one that says the collection still exists, let alone in a museum. Most accounts have some version of the following:

Unfortunately, many of the artifacts were destroyed in a fire in 1962 or later when the church was restored. Also, many were lost or wound up with treasure hunters. After Father Crespi passed away, the remaining artifacts of the original collection were removed and made inaccessible to the public. Some may still be stored in the cellar archive of the church Maria Auxiliadora.

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Zakuska Grand Master

Zakuska

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Apparently, The Cental Bank of Ecuador bought the collection for $400,000. 1000 of the 6500 authentic pieces are on display in the Ethnographic Museum.  Some of the original stuff was lost or stolen.
 
Article about Crespi and the collection:
Edited by Zakuska
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jkwilliams Grand Master

jkwilliams

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Article about Crespi and the collection:

https://fosvis.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/the-crespi-ancient-artifact-collection-of-cuenca-ecuador-compiled-by-glen-w-chapman-nov-1998.pdf

 

 

The Bank of Ecador bouthg the collection to $400,000.

I saw that. I also saw that they only kept some of the artifacts, considering most to be forgeries. From everything I read, none of the Crespi collection seems to be on public display. Of course, I could be wrong.

FWIW, at least a couple of sources say that Crespi admitted that he paid local artisans in money, food, and clothing to make most of the artifacts. Obviously, there's no way to know if that's true, but then the other accounts are just as sketchy. For such an important collection, it sure seems to be clouded in uncertainty and mystery. Hence, my caution.

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pogi Grand Master

pogi

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IFWIW, at least a couple of sources say that Crespi admitted that he paid local artisans in money, food, and clothing to make most of the artifacts. Obviously, there's no way to know if that's true, but then the other accounts are just as sketchy. For such an important collection, it sure seems to be clouded in uncertainty and mystery. Hence, my caution.

 

I understand your caution, but it does make one wonder, why would a central bank be interested in the acquisition of junk? The accounts that I have read state that Father Crespi paid the natives for the artifacts knowing that many of the pieces were forgeries, but being the kind-hearted man that he was would reprimand them and pay them anyway.  

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jkwilliams Grand Master

jkwilliams

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The Article By Glen W. Chapman I last linked goes into the Obvious forgeries. Even catalogs a few of them. Even the Good father knew they were forgeries and chided the sellers for it.

I have a good friend who is an anthropologist specializing in Andean peoples. I have emailed him about this. I will let you know what he says.

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jkwilliams Grand Master

jkwilliams

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I understand your caution, but it does make one wonder, why would a central bank be interested in the acquisition of junk? The accounts that I have read state that Father Crespi paid the natives for the artifacts knowing that many of the pieces were forgeries, but being the kind-hearted man that he was would reprimand them and pay them anyway.

Like I said, I don't know enough to say anything about this, so I think caution is warranted.

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Zakuska Grand Master

Zakuska

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More about the Museum:

 

The Museum was established by an Agreement between the Pichincha Provincial Council and Ecuador´s Central Bank. The Central Bank pvovides the objects, displays, and maintenace of the exhibits and the Council´s Middle of the World Complex (Ciudad Mitad del Mundo) administrates the Museum.

 

http://www.discoveringecuador.com/ingles/sierra/quito/etnograf.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciudad_Mitad_del_Mundo

Edited by Zakuska
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Zakuska Grand Master

Zakuska

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I didn't say I was skeptical that Ecuador has an ethnographic museum, just that I don't know what, if anything, of Crespi's collection is displayed there and what its provenance is.

 

Something about that:
 

 

For 13 Million sucres ($433,000), the Museo del Banco Central purchased the Crespi Collection, with an option to select or reject as its experts saw fit.  With its Proceeds, the Salesians are now constructing a new school, appropriately named "Carlo Crespi." But the money is already exhausted, according to Padre Flores, and $200,000 more will be needed to finish the basic physical plant.  The School will readily accomodate the 640 boys now in primary grades, but an additional $66,000 would be needed to build a second story over one wing for a gallery to appropriately display what remains of Crespi's collection.
 
That book Catalogs what items were collected as Authentic by the bank and which "Dr.s of Anthropology" made the selection of artifacts for the bank.
 
 
A monument was erected in April-May Honoring Father Crespi at the Carlo Crespi School. So it seems the School is complete.
 

 

He established a museum and fulfilled his sacred Christian ideals.
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