La costruzione dell’Armada del Mar Océano a Napoli nel Seicento: dalle galere ai galeoni e vascelli

Abstract

Shipbuilding techniques improved starting from the second half of the 16th century very much, even though galleys were mostly used. However, the first Venetian galleasses (sailing and rowing warships) were employed in the battle of Lepanto, in 1571, by Sebastiano Venier, Captain General for the Sea. At that time, rowing vessels were being built specifically to protect the Atlantic coast. In that time, the construction of vessels had been under discussion thanks to the new study about it. In 1594 the king Philip II decided to build the Sea Ocean Armada. Then, in 1623, the king Philip IV ordered to create in Naples a similar Neapolitan Ocean Armada, consisting in eight vessels and a “petaccio” (mothership), which was aggregate to the Spanish one. The Armada was used throughout the seventeenth century in the most important wars, as the “War of Messina” (1674-78), under the command of Andrea d’Avalos, prince of Montesarchio.