The Arsenale is the largest pre-industrial production centre of the world. Its surface occupied forty-six hectars, and it would host up to 2000 workers a day in full swing.
It is an important place for Venice, not only because the Serenissima fleet was built there, but also because these shipyards, depots and workshops were the symbol of the military, economical and political power Venice had back in time.
Its first unit dates back to the beginning of the 13th century, and was developed on the Darsena Vecchia sides. At the beginning of the 14th century the first extension was realised, by buiding the Darsena Nuova and, in the following century, the Arsenale underwent other transfromations due to the impelling naval and military needs of the Serenissima.
As time went by, the Arsenale kept losing its military importance, becoming a more commerce-related site. Between 1876 and 1909, the last significant extension intervention was made, that is the realisation of the new structures between of the Darsena Nuova and Nuovissima.