Industrial Organization in Private Venetian Ship Yards
In the 11th century
in Venice water craft were small vessels which could be almost mass produced in
a way which made way for Squerarioli who were unique craftsman who
introduced “new” concepts in paying for the ships being produced.
Previously any ship built was commissioned just as a work of art or any other
item which may be paid for by the amount of labor required rather than the
value of the end product itself. Because of the small shipyards, low
capital, and low labor requirements of these small ships the Squerarioli were able to essentially
open “boat shops” where these ships were purchase much as you would a car
today, paying not for the man hours used to produce the car but for the value
of the end product.
Because of this unique position legislation was passed in Venice
which greatly changed the environment for ship builders
-1407 a law is passed which forbids a ship being launched before
it is paid for, this has the effect of eliminating Squerarioli’s ability to maintain prebuilt ships.
-1477 Squerarioli are granted the ability to have
two apprentice, they are the only craftsman allowed more than one apprentice
during this time period in Venice. This allows not only a special position
within their guild but allows them to produce larger ships because of increase
in organic labor.
-1584 Squerarioli are allowed to harvest 12 trees
twice a year from protected forests. This gives the Squerarioli the ability to produce larger
ships more cheaply
Because of the way Squerarioli are selling ships, by the job not
by the hour, an incentive for quantity over quality develops.
As we enter the 15th century
larger and larger ships are being undertaken and carpenters typically are
functioning in a more administrative role by contracting out for skilled labor
and supervising production.
As merchant ships become larger so to the requirements for
venetian military vessels however the limited production facilities within
Venice and limited resources available to produce ships with increasing
resource requirements means that the government is having to compete with
private enterprise to have its ships built. As a result of this competition the
Venetian government passes legislation intervenes by limiting the ship size
which can be produced by private ship yards on the basis that any ship over 47
tons was of poor quality and giving Venetian carpenters a bad name. In
1425 this tonnage limit is raised to 94 tons.
As the ships produced in Venice the question is raised of how
ships are paid for. With much larger capital requirements of larger ships it is
no longer practical for individuals to pay the entire price of a ship upfront.
Initially financing a large ship was left to the individual owner who would
have to pay overs several years and receive no return as the ships were not
built prior to an order because the demand was rather low.
Normally those who wanted larger ships built would take the lead
in having them built, they could do this one of two ways.
-Find a wealth craftsman and purchase a vessel at a fixed price
With this option the ship is purchased very much as a car is
today. All capital including the shipyard, building supplies and labor is
controlled by the manufacture (in this case a wealthy carpenter).
-Party/parties purchasing the larger ship take full control of its
production
This would include hiring a foreman, renting a shipyard, procuring
supplies, and managing payroll as well as all other aspects of ship production.
In Venice from 1425-1570 ships were generally produced under the
latter option.
Large ships were typically not owned by a single individual but
rather a group of shareholders. This method of ownership has been recognized as
a form of wealth since the 11th century.
The Arsenal prior to 1660 was only set up for galley production,
because of this both government and private ships were produced by hiring a
foreman shipwright, an accountant, and a superintendent.
The accountant and superintendent were “company men” who were paid
directly by the shareholders for privately contracted ships or by lord of the
Arsenal for military ships.
Foremen were technical experts responsible for declaring defects
in wood or calking, decreasing pay for master craftsmen who did not meet the
guild standards of craftsmanship, ensuring workers were sent home on time, and
docking pay for workers who were not working during work hours.
-1559 a law is passed which forbids cutting Venetian oak for use
in Venetian ship yards in order to prevent shipyards from being the owners of
the ships they are building.
At the end of the 16th century there is a shift in policy
towards providing subsidy for parties wishing to build ships which stimulates
building of ships as well as fostering a new class of craftsman, the Boss
Carpenter
Bernard Sebastian Russo is one of the most notable Boss
Carpenters. Russo helped set a standard for subsidy by requesting loans for
ship buyers, living allowances for himself, a significant amount of labor from
within the Arsenal, and constant employment for his workers. He also asked to
be allowed to keep 2-3 ships from his production and be allowed to source
timber from wherever he pleased.
The request for constant employment for his workers is quite
notable as prior to this request workers were only employed if a ship was
actively in production. Production could be stopped by many things which
includes weather. Under this request when production was stopped for any reason
his workers would be able to continue their employment within the arsenal. It
was because of this constant promise of employment that he was able to offer
his workers a lower wage then other ship builders.
Ship building in Venice comes to a rather anticlimactic end as
ship global competition reaches the area local ship yards become unable to
compete and ship construction fizzles out.
As we toured the Arsenal, its importance in Venetian history was
evident. We could see many portions of the facility have been renovated for use
throughout history for use in the various conflicts Italy has been involved in.
We could see bunkers from World War I and World War II, ships cradles from the
16th century and
galley production facilities dating back to the 11th century. Today the arsenal is not a
strategic military asset but a monument to Venice’s relevance throughout history
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