Original scientific paper
SORTS OF VESSELS IN KOTRULJEVIĆ’S DE NAVIGATIONE
Davor Balić
orcid.org/0000-0002-4656-6750
; Department of Philosophy, Faculty of philosophy, University of Osijek
Abstract
In the second book of his manuscript De navigatione (On Navigation, 1464), first published by Damir Salopek in 2005, Benedikt Kotruljević, an early Renaissance thinker from Dubrovnik, mainly discussed sorts of vessels. In it he singled out titles for around 50 sorts and types of vessels, but he payed special attention to galleys. From his account we find out that the galleys were of different sizes, that they served various purposes, and that they differed according to their seaworthiness. Furthermore, he discussed parts and the equipment of the galley, terms and the numbers of their members, as well as about the ways they were manned by the crew.
In De navigatione Kotruljević also informed us of the vessels that were used on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic: marsigliane in Dalmatia, marrani in Istria, barcosi mainly in Dubrovnik. Kotruljević also said that the Croatian Adriatic coast is “too enjoyable”. He also mentioned some towns and islands of Dalmatia. Because of the fact that he opposed the claims of the historian Flavio Biondo (Flavius Blondus) arguing that St. Jerome was an Italian, Kotruljević is, according to today’s data, the first Croatian thinker who discussed St. Jerome’s native town on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic.
Keywords
Benedikt Kotruljević; sorts of vessels; galley; ship parts; ship equipment; ship crew; the Croatian coast of the Adriatic
Hrčak ID:
68496
URI
Publication date:
18.5.2011.
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