Construction of the Arsenal, a complex of…

Construction of the Arsenal, a complex of state-owned shipyards and armories clustered together in Venice, begins during Venice's republican era.

While the establishment may have existed as early as the eighth century, the present structure is usually said to have been begun in 1104 during the reign of Ordelafo Faliero, although there is no evidence for such a precise date.

Initially, the state dockyard works merely to maintain privately built naval ships.