| The Arsenale di Venezia is a shipyard and naval depot that played a leading role in the Venetian empire-building. It was one of the most important areas of Venice, lying in the Castello sestiere. It already existed in the early 13th century, as mentioned in Dante's Inferno. The name probably comes from the Arabic Dar al Sina’a ("Dockyard") and the concept was clearly Islamic as much as Byzantine. Initially the dockyard worked simply for the maintenance of naval ships, but in 1320 the Arsenal Nuovo was built much larger than the original. It enabled all the state's navy and the larger merchant ships to be both constructed and maintained in one place. Warships started to be mass-produced in the Arsenal and also new firearms at an early date, beginning with bombards in the 1370s. The Porta Magna, the Arsenal’s main gate, was built in about 1460 and was the first Classical revival structure to be built in Venice. Significant parts of the Arsenal were destroyed under Napoleonic rule, and later rebuilt to enable the Arsenal's present use as a naval base. It is also used as a research centre, an exhibition venue during the Venice Biennale and is home to a historic boat preservation centre. |
