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.
