The Arsenal of Venice, known in Italian as Arsenale di Venezia is a naval shipyard that was the lifeforce of Venice's large merchant navy.  Its exact date of orgin is unknown, but the beginning of its life started in the time period from 1150-1200.  In 1220 the first two rows of covered water areas called squeri were constructed around the dock of San Marco.  At this time in the 13th century, The Arsenal of Venice was called Arsenale Vecchio, or Old Arsenal.  The goal of The Arsenal of Venice was to give greater production to the construction of naval vessels, and was proven very essential to the Venetian Empire's success in the Mediterranean, as the bulk of its galleys and large ships were produced there.  The Arsenal of Venice is known as one of the most effiecent examples of large manpower production seen in the pre-industrial era. Source of text: The Arsenal of Venice. (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 2017, from http://arsenalofvenice.weebly.com/ This picture is public domain because its copyright haas expired 100 years plus the author's age.