Evolución y análisis de las galeras de los reinos peninsulares (Siglos XII-XVIII). Construcción, dotación, armamento, aparejos y tácticas

Resum

Derived from the Byzantine dromon, the galley was from the 10th century the fundamental warship of the Mediterranean until the end of the 17th century. The appearance of the bay as a constructive element to avoid the collapse of the nave is what marks the evolution from one to the other. In the Mediterranean there was a common system for the manufacture of boats, whose maximum technological exponent is the galley, characterized by the use of a common language, the franca mediterranean language, a practically equal construction system, whose measurements are based on the so-called "gálibo maestro", the exchange of information, knowledge and techniques among the shipyards of the various Christian nations and a refined artisan technique. To become the protagonist vessel for so many centuries, it had to evolve a lot to adapt to specific anthropic and bioclimatic circumstances. The development of the shape of the submerged hull, so that it offers the least possible resistance to displacement in the water, is the history of the progress of shipbuilding. In this doctoral thesis we study and synthesize the use and evolution of the construction of the galleys from its appearance until its decline. We analyzed the oar navigation in the Hispanic kingdoms throughout the Middle Ages and the Modern Age, studying the propulsion systems used and their temporal evolution, differentiating the typology of the galleys and their characteristics. In addition, we recover old meanings and conceptualize them. In addition to the scattered archival and printed sources of archives, we have compiled an important collection of iconographic sources from each of the periods studied, in different supports (paintings, reliefs, frescoes, drawings, engravings, tapestries, sculptures, among others). Later, we analyze these historical representations, to generate an iconographic corpus that completes the textual one, thus helping to better understand the constructive process and its evolution, as well as navigation and combat tactics. Given the long historical period covered by the investigation, we have determined some stages that, in our opinion, delimit and identify the evolution of the galleys, highlighting those aspects that define their typology, with the purpose of serving as a record, so that the researcher can locate the vessel in its time or know the characteristics of it at a certain date. For the first time a synthesis of all the most important technical aspects that are introduced in the construction and navigation of a galley of the Hispanic kingdoms from the 12th to the 18th century has been made. We have generated a knowledge base that may be useful for further research directly or indirectly linked with the world of galleys, helping to cover several historiographical gaps regarding the constructive and operational knowledge of these war ships.