Galley
At its peak in the 15th century, the Arsenale employed 16,000 men and could produce a galley (or galere), a Venetian warship, during a lunch break. These ships were light weight, maneuverable, and could carry a crew of up to 200 men. The crew generally consisted of: crossbowmen, merchants, a map-maker, a scribe, a doctor, and rowers. The rowers were known as the 'galley-slaves' because forced labor sentences were usually served on board the ship.
History
The captains would recruit crew members by enticing men with advanced pay in front of the Doge's Palace. Any man who did not report in when the ship was ready to set sail was located by a local police force, known as the Lords of the Night, and were either arrested or forced to set sail.
These ships often carried "precious loads" to compensate for the high cost of sailing the ship. In order to avoid the problems that could arise from carrying such loads, the Republic created a control system over the different trading companies. This control system made it so the Republic constructed the galleys, set the trade routes, and organized the bids merchants offered for the transported loads. More importantly, this system caused merchants to work together and provide the Republic with enough funds to cover the cost of the galleys.
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References
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