Matthew Legacy Inc.

The Bonavista Matthew is a full-scale replica of Caboto’s 1497 vessel, a 15th-century Caravel. It was built in 1997-98 by a team of seven shipwrights and four carpenters from the local area, under the direction of a Master Builder. Its construction marked the 500th Anniversary of Giovanni Caboto’s voyage celebrated in 1997. Today, the vessel serves as a lasting reminder of the voyage and discovery that changed the course of history. It is a conduit to our past, connecting us to the first European discovery of the New World that found a reason to return, sparking settlement in North America.