by Juliana Ferrie
The Royal Shipyards of Barcelona were once a bustling space used as a medieval arsenal, military facility and ship-making factory.
Now, the Gothic structure with a seven-century-long history is the Maritime Museum of Barcelona, located across from the marina.
The museum offers a look into the city’s long relationship with the sea — from days in the past to much more recent times. For a general admission price of €10 or the student price of €5, visitors can gain entry to the expansive museum, which contains boats, model ships and other historical exhibits related to this topic.
Navigating the museum under high Gothic arches, one can get lost in its layout and its rich history. But one exhibit in particular stands out.
Unable to be missed, La Real — or the Royal Galley replica — takes up an aisle of its own in the museum and houses more than 450 years of history. The original, which was built within the Royal Shipyards of Barcelona in 1568, was used in a fleet to fight the Ottomans.
The galley, which is a type of large sea vessel propelled mainly by oars, provides an extensive look into the pasts of Barcelona and the shipyards.
The History of the Royal Galley
Built at the Royal Shipyards, the Royal Galley was the biggest galley of its time. It was the fleet’s flagship, meaning it was the ship carrying the commanding admiral. Under Don Juan de Austria (or John of Austria), the galley fought in the Battle of Lepanto, which took place in Oct. 1571.
It was the largest galley battle in history.
When ordered to be built in Barcelona, the viceroy of Catalonia ordered the following: “This Royal galley is to be made from the best wood to be found in these parts, as the pine of Catalonia is the best wood to be found in Asia, Africa or Europe,” according to the museum website.
John of Austria had supreme command over the Holy League fleet, which was a Christian naval force formed by Spain, Papacy and Venice against the Turks. The battle took place near southwestern Greece.
He was able to sink the Turkish fleet, which was the first big Christain victory over them. This battle destroyed the Turkish Mediterranean power and was the last great engagement involving oar-propelled vessels.
Each side lost about 8,000 men and 12 galleys in the fight. However, 117 galleys were captured by the allies, and they liberated around 15,000 enslaved Christians.
What was it like living on the Royal Galley?
Life on the Royal Galley was tough. The crew could be anywhere from 300 to 400 people, according to museum signs. People on the boat were divided into two groups: gent de cap (above-deck people) and gent de rem (rowers).
The Royal Galley was manned by 236 rowers. Three different groups rowed the ship: free men, slaves and convicts, according to museum signs. However, their status did not matter much when rowing; they were distributed according to their physical strength.
The free men who rowed the galley agreed to a certain amount of time and payment. However, the convicts were sentenced to rowing the galley, and the slaves were frequently Christian and Muslim prisoners of war.
Convicts were first sentenced to the galley under Emperor Charles V. in 1530. This practice continued until 1748.
When engaging in combat with an enemy, all three groups rowed simultaneously, which is called “forging ahead,” according to museum information. Otherwise, they rowed in quarters. This meant that every half hour the group rowing switched.
The rowers powered the boat on their own during attacks or when performing difficult maneuvers. Long distances required the use of the sails and the push of the wind.
Rowers survived only an average of two years on a galley because of bad hygiene, poor food and changes in temperature, according to museum information.
In fact, the smell from the lack of hygiene gave off such a terrible smell that surprise attacks on the sea were impossible. It was noticeable before the galley could even be seen by the enemy, alerting them an attack was incoming.
Paula Comas, who lives in Barcelona and spent the day visiting the museum for a project, said she was shocked by the information about the rowers.
“I couldn’t believe they kept them in those terrible conditions,” Comas said. “The fact other ships could smell them before seeing them is hard to believe.”
Because they were shackled to their rowing benches, cleanliness was impossible. Everything was done from their spot on the bench, and they were not allowed to move from their location until they arrived at their destination.
Not only were the rowers subject to the elements and the constant water rushing in the deck, they were also tortured physically and psychologically.
While the rowers worked hard to propel the boat forward, two other groups of people had roles on the galley: soldiers and sailors.
The soldiers were both officers and common soldiers who were on the galley to fight the enemy, according to museum signs. Specifically, the Tercios de Galeras (or Galley Regiment), which was a product of Charles I’s 1534 military reform, were the precursors to the marines worldwide.
Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote, was a part of a galley regiment and fought in the Battle of Lepanto.
Soldiers could also be crossbowmen, bombardiers and arquebusiers.
The sailors were specialists in maintaining the vessel and sailing, according to museum signs. The captain served as the highest authority on the galley, but he did not own the vessel.
On the most important ships, a pilot could be found, who was an expert navigator.
Under this category of individuals, there were also a caulker, a cooper, a perfumier, a priest, a doctor, a head overseer and an overseer.
Building the Museum’s Replica
In the museum today, you can visit the full-size replica of the ship and learn more about its history. Towering high above its visitors, the galley is an impressive sight. It is 60 meters in length, which is equivalent to around 200 feet.
Carved gold ornamentation adorns the sides of the boat, contrasting greatly with its bright red color. Amongst these decorations, stunning art and sculptures add to the intricate exterior of the galley.
Comas said this was her first time visiting the museum. When she first saw the Royal Galley, she said she was overwhelmed by its size.
“It’s crazy to think about how this boat was powered by people,” she said.
The art on the boat’s sides were created by Gabriel Alabert and Francisco Ribera. According to the museum’s website, their art was guided by experts at the Maritime Museum of Barcelona.
In 1971, the museum unveiled the reconstructed galley to the public, which was made to honor the 400th anniversary of the major sea battle. The project was led by Martinez Hidalgo, the museum director at the time.
The Royal Galley replica is made out of metal, fiber, plant, wood, cloth and paint. It was created on site by Astilleros Cardona artisans.
While not seen in the replica, the original also had a foremast and a mainmast with lateen sails, which are triangular sails that significantly improved marine travel.
A Look into the Ship’s Art
Having different metaphorical meanings, the sculptures and paintings decorating the galley tell mythological stories.
Carvings of Odysseus, Prometheus, Mercury and Mars stand between different paintings, some depicting battles and others illustrating more myths.
According to museum information, Odysseus is a metaphor for a ruler’s loneliness, and Mars was an allegory for John of Austria overcoming difficulties.
In this slideshow, the art of the Royal Galley can be seen. In the fifth photo, an allegorical representation of the eight winds can be seen.
This amount of history associated with the Royal Galley is as impressive as its size.The vessel is truly a testament to the history located around every corner of the museum.
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