31.10.2026 12:00
It has been claimed that a shepherd searching for his lost sheep in the Picos de Europa Mountains in northern Spain found 150 bags of gold in a hidden cave among steep cliffs.
It was claimed that 52-year-old Mateo Gomez, who works in livestock farming in a mountain village in Spain's Asturias region, made an unexpected discovery while searching for a sheep that had separated from his flock.
According to the account, Gomez, following the sound of his lost animal as fog began to descend, crossed steep cliffs and reached a narrow crevice on the mountainside. The shepherd entered the cave, which was very difficult to notice from outside, and found his sheep there.
HIS FOOT CAUGHT ON A ROTTEN WOODEN HATCH
It was stated that Gomez, while trying to get his sheep out of the cave, noticed pieces of fabric hanging from under old tarpaulins in a depression at the back.
It was recounted that while the shepherd was trying to rescue his animal, his foot caught on a rotten wooden hatch, and when the hatch broke, sealed cloth bags stacked on top of one another were revealed underneath.
The statement attributed to Gomez included the following words:
"I just wanted to take my sheep and return to the village. The animal was stuck in the farthest corner of the cave. As I tried to pull it out, my foot caught on a rotten wooden hatch and the hatch broke. Underneath were thick, sealed cloth bags stacked on top of one another. One was torn, and when I held the lantern, I saw the glint of gold coins scattered around."
IT WAS ALLEGED THAT 150 BAGS OF GOLD WERE RECOVERED FROM THE CAVE
After the discovery, it was claimed that researchers, history enthusiasts, and mountain guides went to the area. It was alleged that work was carried out for days in the cave at an altitude of approximately 2,200 meters above sea level, and that the 150 cloth bags found there were numbered one by one and removed. It was stated that the bags contained gold ingots of different sizes and thousands of historic gold coins from the 17th and 18th centuries.