The immense Arsenale dockyard was founded, according to tradition, by Doge Falier in 1104 and was built up considerably throughout the 16th century. For a republic founded on sea power, having a huge, state-of-the-art shipyard was of paramount importance, and this one was legendary for its size and efficiency. Galleys 200 feet long were built here, capable of carrying 300 tons of ginger, pepper, silk, and silver. Until the middle of the 16th century, when slaves began to be used in the galleys, the crew was made up of men who volunteered in exchange for an opportunity to amass pounds of precious merchandise from ports all around the Eastern Mediterranean, to be resold if they survived the perils of the trip. With 16,000 "Arsenalotti" on the payroll, a perfectly armed warship could be built in just 12 hours; 100 ships were built in 60 days in 1597 for the battle against the Turks at Cyprus. After that war, the old Venetian word arzanà (from the Arabic darsina'a, meaning workshop) was adopted by another 14 languages. Dante visited the shipyards several times, and the half-naked bodies of the workers, armed with pitches and boiling tar, inspired his vision of the seventh plane of Hell for his Inferno.

The impressive Renaissance gateway (1460) is guarded by four lions, war booty of Francesco Morosini, who took the Peloponnese from the Turks in 1687. The 10-foot-tall lion to the left has had a 2,000-year career standing sentinel, beginning in a harbor near Athens. Experts say its mysterious inscription is Scandinavian runic "graffiti" left by one of the Viking mercenaries hired by the Byzantine emperor to suppress 11th-century revolts in Piraeus. If you look at the winged lion above the doorway, you'll notice that the Gospel at his paws is open but lacks the customary Pax inscription; praying for peace perhaps seemed inappropriate above a factory that manufactured weapons.

Modernization under the Austrians and the Kingdom of Italy enabled the Arsenale to make several World War I battleships, and though these marked the end of its shipbuilding career, the shipyard still has active dry docks that haul out and service sizable ships. Some buildings inside have been restored and are used by the Italian Navy, but there are many more in urgent need of care. The debate over what to do with this massive, historically important site is ongoing. The Arsenale isn't regularly open to the public, but it's open for the Biennale and for Venice's festival of traditional boats, held every May. If you're here during those times, don't miss the chance for a look inside.