The Flanders Galleys (2)

Henri Sbonski de Passebon, 1690. A colorised engraving of a French galley

from the early 17th century

I have not posted any updates since the first stage of the new research has been, as always, dull and unimaginative, focusing on learning basic facts. 

However, a few days ago, I moved to a new stage, where I develop data and find evidence. I have even written the outline of the future article, though it may change a lot. 

Anyway, I have started asking research questions and supplying the answers. 

What made a great galley a specialized vessel?

What were the dimensions and cargo capacity of a great galley in the sixteenth century?

What do we know about the safety and security of the great galleys?

My sources are:

Lionel Casson, Merchant Galleys. In Robert Gardiner, The Age of the Galley. (Edison: Chartwell Books Inc., 2000)

 Renard Gluzman, Wrecked, Captured or Destroyed: The Challenge to Ensure Adequate Protection at Sea in the Sixteenth Century. In: Ermanno Orlando e Gherardo Ortalli (eds.), Dimensioni istituzionali del Commonwealth veneziano (secoli XIV-XVII), 2024

John E. Dotson, Safety regulations for galleys in mid-fourteenth-century Genoa: Some thoughts on medieval risk management. Journal of Medieval History 20 (1994)

 Claire Judde de Larivière, Naviguer, commercer, gouverner. (Leiden: Brill, 2008)

Renard Gluzman, Venetian Shipping From the Days of Glory to Decline, 1453–1571. (Leiden: Brill,2021)

My research will take a long time, but now I know that I can analyse the sources and reach conclusions.  

The Flanders Galleys (1)

 Hello, my readers and listeners!

   First, thank you for reading this blog. I have never dreamed of reaching almost 36 K viewers. Your silent support encourages me to continue my research. It still focuses on the seafaring of galleys in medieval Mediterranean, though it might be the last chapter in this section.

   I am currently developing the Venetian maritime trade archive, with the emphasis on the Galleys of Flanders. I guess the future article will cover the Florentine galleys as well. Also, in addition to Flanders, I will present English destinations. I may show the differences in Venetian, Florentine, and Genoese seafaring along the Atlantic line.

   I want to elaborate on the final voyages and explain how and why the galley service became a burden for maritime republics. Additionally, I will comment on the pirate activities in the Atlantic, especially in the fifteenth century. I will use English, French, and Italian sources to create a more nuanced picture of seafaring. 

   The sixth Zoom lecture on medieval battles is ready and will be delivered on February 6 for my Russian audience. You can read it in the original on my Academia page:

   https://www.academia.edu/130330389/The_Battle_of_Meloria_August_6_1284_

Deutsches Historisches Museum

The Galleys of Flanders

 After uploading my latest article, 

https://www.academia.edu/145269678/The_War_of_Chioggia

I seem to have reached my full potential, with 16K views. To move forward, I need to conduct new studies. I will devote the first of them to the galleys of Flanders, i.e., Venetian and Florentine merchant ships, which set sail from Venice or Porto Pisano to Sluys and London. I have collected a lot of material in the first file, and now I will process the data to see what is missing. I will cover the crisis in the Italian merchant marine in the late fifteenth century, the change in terminals, and the shift in customers' attitudes. However, it is too early to outline the future article. I have to understand the facts and opinions that I have found. 

I will also translate one of my previous articles for a new Zoom lecture for Russian-speaking listeners. 

https://www.academia.edu/130330389/The_Battle_of_Meloria_August_6_1284_

The War of Chioggia: Final Version

 I am happy to present my new article:

https://www.academia.edu/145269678/The_War_of_Chioggia

This is my last contribution to the issue of the tactics of naval warfare in the medieval Mediterrranean. 

You can view previous seven articles on my page in Academia:

https://www.academia.edu/122683998/The_Battle_of_Ad_Decimum

https://www.academia.edu/124564608/The_Umayyad_Siege_of_Constantinople_717_718_

https://www.academia.edu/125356518/The_Battle_of_the_Gulf_of_Corinth

https://www.academia.edu/126933976/The_Siege_of_Chandax_The_Byzantine_Recovery_of_Crete_960_961

https://www.academia.edu/127661416/The_Fall_of_New_Rome_Part_1

https://www.academia.edu/128273374/The_Fall_of_New_Rome_Part_2_The_Sack_of_Zara

https://www.academia.edu/129233488/The_Fall_of_New_Rome_Part_3_From_Zero_to_Hero_and_Otherwise

https://www.academia.edu/130330389/The_Battle_of_Meloria_August_6_1284_

https://www.academia.edu/130330389/The_Battle_of_Meloria_August_6_1284_

The last article in the cycle, "The Intricacies of Naval Warfare," focuses on the final major naval conflict between Venice and Genoa. Though this confrontation involved distant flashpoints, such as Famagusta and Tenedos, it occurred mainly in the Venetian home waters. Harsh peace conditions followed the hard-won victory.

If you would like to comment, I am interested in the role of gunpowder weapons in this war (light guns on ships and bombards mounted on land). Additionally, I pay attention to a tactical diversion of battle, when an admiral considers his fleet inferior to that of his adversary. 

The Battle of the Formigues Islands: the final version

A few days ago, I uploaded the final version of my article on the battle in which the Catalan-Sicilian fleet, led by Admiral Roger de Lauria, achieved victory over the Angevin armada.

https://www.academia.edu/144389334/The_Battle_of_the_Formigues_Islands

In my article, I discuss the background and implications of this battle—a series of conflicts that allowed the Crown of Aragon to regain its independence and repel foreign aggression. I also explain why the Crusade against Aragon ended in failure and highlight the strategies that helped Admiral Roger overwhelm his adversaries.

This paper is the seventh in a series on the tactics of naval battles in the medieval Mediterranean. For the first time, I am citing sources and secondary literature written in languages other than English, primarily French, Italian, Spanish, and Catalan.

In addition, I am preparing a Zoom lecture about the Fourth Crusade based on my findings. Just to clarify, there will be only one lecture, not three!

https://www.academia.edu/127661416/The_Fall_of_New_Rome_Part_1

https://www.academia.edu/128273374/The_Fall_of_New_Rome_Part_2_The_Sack_of_Zara

https://www.academia.edu/129233488/The_Fall_of_New_Rome_Part_3_From_Zero_to_Hero_and_Otherwise

Meanwhile, I continue to explore materials about Flanders galleys and maritime trade between Venice and the North Sea.

Picture 4. An anonymous artist at the turn

A naval duel between inimical wars of the 14th century ships

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battaglia_di_Les_Formigues#/media/File:Combat_de_deux_nefs_medievales.jpg 

The Battle of the Formigues Islands

   The Battle of the Formigues Islands" is my seventh story in the cycle, "The Intricacies of Naval Warfare," which explores eight significant maritime conflicts in the medieval Mediterranean. The previous six stories are available on academia.edu:

 

https://www.academia.edu/122683998/The_Battle_of_Ad_Decimum

https://www.academia.edu/124564608/The_Umayyad_Siege_of_Constantinople_717_718_

https://www.academia.edu/125356518/The_Battle_of_the_Gulf_of_Corinth

https://www.academia.edu/126933976/The_Siege_of_Chandax_The_Byzantine_Recovery_of_Crete_960_961

https://www.academia.edu/127661416/The_Fall_of_New_Rome_Part_1

https://www.academia.edu/128273374/The_Fall_of_New_Rome_Part_2_The_Sack_of_Zara

https://www.academia.edu/129233488/The_Fall_of_New_Rome_Part_3_From_Zero_to_Hero_and_Otherwise

The last three articles comprise a single story.

https://www.academia.edu/130330389/The_Battle_of_Meloria_August_6_1284_

The brief outline of my new account is as follows: 1. Setting the Scene 2. The Standoff at the Pass of Panissars 3. Maritime Developments 4. Roger de Lauria Sends the Crusade to Trash 5. The Crusade Caves in 6. Reassessment For the first time in my writing career, I have utilized non-English sources, primarily Italian, French, and Catalan.

I am currently in the process of writing, piecing together various parts of the narrative. As usual, I will describe this battle within the context of related events: the War of the Sicilian Vespers and the Capetian Crusade against Aragon. 

At the same time, I'm researching the development of naval artillery in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

Mariano Barbasán Lagueruela (1891)

Peter III of Aragon the Great (1240-1285), at the Pass of Panissars.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pedro_III_el_Grande_en_el_collado_de_las_Panizas.jpg

The First Five Chapters Re-edited

 My recent contribution to the re-editing project of the initial chapters of my book, "The Enchanting Encounter with the East," has commenced. View it

https://www.academia.edu/143090131/Where_is_the_Heart_of_the_World_The_Location_of_Jerusalem_on_Medieval_Mind_Maps

The article places Jerusalem in the center of the papal vision of the Crusades, the pilgrim's desire to visit the Holy City, and the mapmakers' intention to establish the spatial center of the world. 

The previous chapters are available:

https://www.academia.edu/127139711/What_if_the_Earth_Is_the_Sphere

https://www.academia.edu/127881027/How_to_measure_the_Earths_circumference

https://www.academia.edu/128448718/How_Long_Spans_the_Inhabited_World

https://www.academia.edu/129455182/The_World_as_the_Trefoil

My upcoming Zoom lecture titled "The Siege of Chandax," based on the article of the same name, will take place on August 11. View

https://www.academia.edu/126933976/The_Siege_of_Chandax_The_Byzantine_Recovery_of_Crete_960_961

I have begun developing my new study on merchant galleys. I will focus on the Flanders convoy, which connected Venice with various Flemish and English ports from 1315 to 1531. In particular, I will discuss the role of Southampton as the final destination for these journeys in the latter part of the fifteenth century. Additionally, I will examine the activities of privateers in the Atlantic who targeted richly laden galleys. Finally, I will elaborate on the auctions that offered these vessels for lease to the highest bidder.