1/20/16

Exploring the Arsenal

    Venice did not disappoint by any means, such a beautiful city. Given the opportunity I would go back to that city any time of the year. We learned so much while we were there and explored many different parts of the city. A couple areas we explored were Chioggia, an island off the main city that is a huge fishing town, Burano the colorful city, Murano the glass city, we got to talk to the engineer behind the Mose project which would help the flooding in Venice. So it was hard to be unsatisfied while in this amazing city. One of the most interesting things to me was getting the chance to have a guided tour through the navy base in Venice called the Arsenal. Not many people in their life times will get the opportunity to view the inside of the Arsenal, this made the tour that much more special and made me feel blessed. Jackson (my article partner) and I were able to read an article titled The Growth of the Arsenal this was a very historical and economic filled article which explained more of the areas within the base in depth. Reading the article before getting to visit the Arsenal made me more eager to learn and see the base which I was extremely excited about. The article talks about how the growth of the Arsenal really came into need during the 16th century and how powerful their navy actually was before and after this time. It also talked about the types of ships that were created in the area as well as the goals for the ships. It explained in depth the trading caravans that were necessary for the growth of Venice as a state. This allowed trading to become a lot easier, having such a large navy because Venice was never overlooked and no one would want to mess with their ships. While on our tour the guide also informed us about where the wood was coming form during the time of need for these ships. I thought it was very interesting that the wood was coming from the Cavalese mountains where we had been given the chance to experience before hand! It was nice being able to make those connections between the two cities and seeing how one depended on the other to allow their city to strive! Overall seeing the Arsenal was incredible, Venice as a whole was one of the best experiences of my life, and those few days will be something that I will cherish for the rest of my life!

Inside the Arsenal!(left)

Pictures of a few of the boats used in middle ages (right)