PORTUGAL
Liuro da Fabrica das Naus (c. 1580)
The Liuro da Fabrica das Naus has been dated to 1580 and is the earliest surviving treatise on shipbuilding in Portuguese. It's author, father Fernando Oliveira had written a previous treatise in Latin, titled Ars Nautica. The Liuro is the theoretical work of a scholar and not the practical work of a shipwright. It is comprised of a clear text, with few illustrations, and is, unfortunately, incomplete. As it survived, it is divided into nine chapters. Father Oliveira defines the dimensions of the primary structural components of a ship - stem, stern post, midship and tail frames - as simple proportions of the length of the keel. He then describes the use of algorithms similar to the ones described by Timbotta - such as the mezzaluna or the incremental triangle - to calculate the narrowing and rising of the floor timbers in the central portion of the hull, between tail frames (almogamas), the first and the last of the pre-designed frames of a vessel.
BrowseLivro Primeiro de Arquitectura Naval (c. 1600)
The Livro Primeiro de Arquitectura Naval has been dated between 1608 and 1615, and is generally considered to have been written around 1600 by João Baptista Lavanha, the Chief Engineer and Chief Cosmographer of the kingdom of Portugal at that time. It is the theoretical work of a scholar, and not a practical text of a shipwright. It deals only with one type of vessel: the four decked nau for the India Route. It is clearly more modern than Oliveira's Liuro da Fabrica das Naus, basing the construction of hulls on paper drawings. Nevertheless, Lavanha calls for the need to pre-design a central portion of the hull, although only for five frames forward and abaft the midship section. The importance of this treatise lies in its accurate description of construction techniques, and in its detailed illustrations. It is incomplete, ending abruptly in the beginning of a description of the drawing of plans.
BrowseLivro de Traças de Carpintaria (1616)
The Livro de Traças de Carpintaria is signed by a Manoel Fernandez, shipwright, and dated to 1616. We do not know with certainty who this shipwright named Fernandez was, although there are a few possible candidates, none of whom were ever entrusted with high ranking responsibilities either in Lisbon or in India. The Livro de Traças describes a variety of vessels, from caravels to India naus, and is divided into two main sections. The first section has lists of dimensions of the primary structural components of a ship such as stem, stern post, midship and tail frames. The second contains an impressive collection of drawings, mainly intended as descriptions of the structural components of the ships, and less concerned with the conceptual aspect of the shipbuilding process.
BrowseLivro Náutico (1575-1625)
The Livro náutico is a collection of manuscripts bound in two volumes, with 86 and 144 folios respectively, and dating between 1575 and 1625. It is presently located in the Biblioteca Nacional in Lisbon. It contains important data pertaining to the organization of the part of the Spanish Armada of 1588 that was fitted in Lisbon, as well as several lists containing armament and victuals for India naus.
BrowseMemorial das Várias Cousas Importantes (1575-1625)
Memorial das várias cousas importantes, Codex 637 in the Secçáo de Reservados of the Biblioteca Nacional de Lisboa, is part of a larger codex that included most if not all of the folios now binded in the Livro Náutico. It is also a collection of late 16th and early 17th century documents related to the management of the kingdom of Portual, and contains important data related to the organization and manning of the crown's fleets.
BrowseAdvertências de Navegantes (1640)
Advertências de Navegantes, authored by Marcos Cerveira de Aguilar, is a codex dated to 1640 and presently located in the Biblioteca Nacional in Lisbon. On folio two its author mentions "the 1st of December of this year of 1640," which is the date of the rebellion that made Portugal independent from the Spanish crown. It is a rather complete overview of the Portuguese navy, from the construction of ships, rigging and fitting, launching, and manning to a collection of chapters with general rules and knowledge useful to every navy officer.
BrowseCoriosodades de Gonçallo de Sousa (c. 1630)
Coriosodades de Gonçallo de Sousa is a manuscript dating to around 1630 and containing some very interesting lists with shipbuilding information. When analysed together with the one of the Livro de Traças de Carpintaria, it becomes clear that these two texts are copies of the same original. It is currently at Biblioteca Geral da Universidade de Coimbra with the reference Ms. 3074. It is not yet published.
ITALY
Nautica Mediterranea (1601)
The Nautica Mediterranea is a book by Bartolomeo Crescenzio Romano, printed in Rome in 1601 by Bartolomeo Bonfadino. It is a treatise whose first chapter is dedicated to the construction of galleys and contains a clear description of the methods in use to pre-design the frames that were to be pre-erected over the keel, showing the narrowing and rising of the bottom marked on the turn of the bilge, in the Mediterranean tradition.
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