Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Vele (sails). Indeed, Dante used it as a model scene for hell in his
Divina Commedia
(Div-
ine Comedy; Canto XXI, lines 7 to 21).
Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of the Arsenale was that it used canals as moving
assembly lines. The growing ship would move through the canals from one stage of con-
struction to the next - a system that was not reproduced at such a scale until Henry Ford's
'revolutionary' car factory in the 20th century. As a result of this innovation, as many as
100 galleys could be in production at a single time. In addition, special consultants, such
as Galileo, helped the Venetians rationalise production and build ships that could be
equipped with increasingly powerful munitions. The treatise he later wrote, drawing on
his experience, is considered a seminal text of materials science.
The physical appearance of the yards was also a matter of prestige and cutting-edge
design. At the core of the complex is the
Arsenale Vecchio
(Old Arsenal), which included
storage for the
bucintoro,
the doge's ceremonial galley. In 1303-04 came the first expan-
southern side of the Arsenale and performing essential rope-making work, it was refash-
ioned in 1579 by Antonio da Ponte (of Rialto bridge fame). The
Arsenale Nuovo
(New
Arsenal) was added in 1325, followed in 1473 by the
Arsenale Nuovissimo
(Very New Arsen-
al). In the 16th century, production of
galeazze
(large war vessels with a deep draught) re-
quired the creation of a deeper Canale delle Galeazze along with further workshops and
sheds, such as the
Gaggiandre
(dry dock), which were fashioned from designs attributed to
Jacopo Sansovino.
Now, large parts of the Arsenale have been retooled for use as exhibition space during
the Art and Architecture Biennales and other special events. Outside of these exhibits the
area remains tantalisingly off-limits.
Porta Magna
Capped by the lion of St Mark that somehow eluded destruction by Napoleon's troops, the
Arsenale's land gateway is considered by many to be the earliest example of Renaissance
architecture in Venice; it was probably executed in 1460. A plaque was installed com-
memorating the 1571 victory at Lepanto, and the fenced-in terrace was added in 1692.
Below the statues is a row of carved lions; the biggest one, regally seated, was taken as
booty by Francesco Morosini from the Greek port of Piraeus, which must have taken
some doing. On the right flank of the lion, you'll notice some Viking runes, said to be a
kind of 11th-century war-trophy inscription left behind by Norwegian mercenaries. They
