The need for timber from the Republic of Venice was immense, they served to consolidate the damage of the storms, for the foundations of the city, for the construction of the ships, for the fires of the glassworks, for heating and so on.
The Serenissima's strategy was to transport conifers from Cadore along the Piave river, the firs of the Sette Comuni were lowered into the Brenta river, the Bacchiglione river brought the wood of the Vicenza plain to Chioggia, and through the Adige river those of Lessinia and the high lands of Verona.
Once arrived at their destination, the logs were worked inside the walls through a perfectly incredibly efficient production line, so much so that they were able to launch even three vessels per day.
The political ambitions, the mercantile vocation and the needs of the population led the doge Ordelafo Feliero to encourage and invest in this sector, thus developing the shipyard in a fortified citadel and passing on the precious naval engineering techniques from generation to generation. Venice's greatness was its military and commercial power, in fact from 1104 it depended on the fleets of ships produced inside the Venezia Arsenal.
Every type of boat was produced here, from light galleys destined for naval battles, to the squat vessels that traded in the Mediterranean, Flanders and the Black Sea. Heart of maritime power, the Arsenal was founded in the 12th century and expanded a lot over the centuries later, until it became the largest shipyard in the world and, above all, the first factory in the world.
The modern concept of factory was anticipated by several centuries, intended as a production building in which specialized workers progressed the individual assembly and assembly operations of various standard components along a production line.
Each boat had its role in the enrichment and prosperity of Venice even if the most beautiful was undoubtedly the Bucintoro, the doge's ceremony boat, beautifully decorated and decorated. In the heyday, up to sixteen thousand people were employed there who built, equipped and repaired the great Venetian boats. The Arsenale was like a city within a city, with laboratories, warehouses, workshops, foundries and piers, all surrounded by high crenellated walls.
