Description

Essentials about the Venetian Arsenal in brief

Not only for hobby captains and ship lovers in general, the Venetian Arsenal is worth a look. Located in the east of Venice, it was the naval base of the former Republic of Venice and for a long time by far the largest shipyard in the world. The first ships were launched here as early as the 12th century. Without the Arsenal, Venice’s importance and wealth as a great maritime power would not have been possible. Many of the historic buildings on the grounds of the Venetian Arsenal are still standing. However, only parts of the Arsenal can be visited, as some areas are military grounds of the Italian Army, where the Italian Naval Command Academy is located. On the Venetian Arsenal grounds there is also the Naval Museum (Museo storico navale), which documents the history of seafaring in general and that of the naval forces of the Republic of Venice and Italy in particular.

The Name “Arsenal”

The name Arsenal is probably derived from the Arabic term “darsiná-a”, which means “place of work”. Some water basins on the site still bear the name “Darsena”.

The history of the Venetian Arsenal

The construction of the Venetian Arsenal was started in the year 1104 under Doge Ordelaf Falier. The site of the Venetian Arsenal consisted of two marshy islands in the Castello district. This shipyard, which can be considered the largest production plant in Europe before the age of industrialization, became a model for other naval arsenals in Europe. The area today covers 32 hectares, which is equivalent to one tenth of the historic center of Venice.

During Venice’s rise as a European naval power, the Arsenal was expanded several times; in 1325 by the Arsenale nuovo and in 1475 by the Arsenale nuovissimo. In 1539, the basin was completed for the galleasses, a combination of sailing and rowing ships that could carry up to 1,000 gross tons and a crew of 400. In addition to the ship basins, carpentry shops, calfateries, and a long rope hall where the ship ropes were turned, the Venetian Arsenal also contained ore and foundry smelters, as well as powder stores and an armory.

Today, anyone walking through the tranquil, almost abandoned grounds of the Venetian Arsenal has to use a little imagination to picture how hectic things once were here. In the heyday of the Republic of Venice, between 20,000 and 30,000 people worked in the Arsenal, building and repairing the ships that the Maritime Republic of Venice needed to dominate the Mediterranean. Already the famous poet Dante Alighieri described in his masterpiece The Divine Comedy the bustling activity in the Venetian Arsenal.

The Arsenal, by the way, worked extraordinarily efficiently. If you like, it can be considered the first place in the world where a preliminary stage of assembly line work was practiced. As early as the 14th century, the production of galleys was carried out in strictly rationalized work processes. Each merchant ship was designed so that it could be converted into a warship in a very short time. The components for the galleys were standardized, prefabricated and stored in the depot, so that 25 ships could be made ready for action in a very short time. For the naval battle of Lepanto in the war against the Turks, 100 galleys were built in the Arsenal within two weeks in 1570.

Under Napoleon, from 1806, the Venetian Arsenal was transformed into a modern shipyard designed for larger warships than in the Republic period. For these ships, with up to 80 cannons, which were no longer built indoors but in an open shipyard, Napoleon had 12 covered workshops demolished as well as a new direct access cut through the enclosing wall, from which the Venetian Arsenal was made accessible from the Lagoon.

The gates of the Venetian Arsenal

Even though the lagoon city of Venice itself was never surrounded by a protective city wall, it was felt necessary to enclose the Venetian Arsenal like a fortress with high walls and towers. Until 1806, the Arsenal was accessible only through two entrances: the Water Gate and the Portal Gate.

The Water Gate

The Water Gate (Ingresso all’Acqua) is flanked by two towers built in 1574 and could be closed by a portcullis. Through this gate the shipping traffic across the Mediterranean Sea was carried out.

The Portal Gate

The Portal Gate (Ingresso di Terra) is located right next to the Water Gate. It was built in its present form in 1460, in the style of a triumphal gate, to show that from this place emanated the glory and wealth of Venice. It is the first example of the Renaissance style in the Lagoon. The portal is crowned by a pediment with the relief of a striding lion holding the book closed – because of the martial function of the building – and without the usual inscription pax tibi in its paws. On the top of the gate there is a figure of justice. The inscription on the gate commemorates the naval battle of Lepanto, won mainly by the Venetian fleet. The entrance staircase is flanked by eight allegorical figures. The two giant antique lions to the right and left of the stairs are loot brought to Venice from Greece in the 17th century.

Website

comune.venezia.it/arsenaledivenezia

munav.it

Opening hours

Opening hours Venetian Arsenal:

Admission fees

Admission Venetian Arsenal:

free of charge

Admission Museo storico navale:

Adults: €10

Seniors (Ages 66 and above): €8

Pupils and students (Ages 15 – 26): €8

Children and teenagers (Ages 6 – 14): €5

Infants (Ages 5 and under): free

There is an additional charge for a visit to the Enrico Dandolo submarine.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Vaporetto lines 1, 4.1, 4.2, B and R: Stop Arsenal

By car:

Inaccessible.