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