Arsenale
By the 15th century, Venice was known as the “queen of the seas” because it was the main trade link between Europe and Asia. The city’s strength was felt all around the world for three reasons: sailing ability, strong economic organization, and its ability to construct its own boats. Venice's arsenal, the Arsenale, founded in 1104 and rebuilt in the 15th and 16th century, was one of the world’s wonders at the time.
History
The Arsenale was a public shipyard that combined the small, private workshops that were originally used to build boats. Designers, shipwrights, and other specialized workers made up the staff that protected this important part of Venetian heritage. The shipyard was organized so that work was spread out among different sectors and not only had quality control of the raw materials being used, but also standardized manufacturing methods. This set up helped Venice gain power. At its peak in the 15th century, the Arsenale employed 16,000 men and could produce a galley, a Venetian warship, during a lunch break.
The senate of the Venetian government, the Signoria, was able to successfully focus on trade in the 16th century as state-of-the-art watercrafts were built quickly and constantly improved.
See Also
References
NULL
Bibliography
- General information on the Arsenale
- Bigda, Bryan, Michelle Dubuke, Daniel LaTorella, and Jennifer Richards. Museo Arzanà: Preserving the Traditional Boats of Venice. Interactive Qualifying Project, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2007.
- Candlish, Sean, Craig Shevlin, and Sarah Stout. The Traditional Boats of Venice: Assessing a Maritime Heritage. Interactive Qualifying Project, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2004.
- Catalano, Brian, Kristen Gervais, and Ryan Sinapius. Preserving the Nautical Traditions and Maritime Heritage of Venice, Italy. Interactive Qualifying Project, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2005.