An Insight into Mediterranean Naval Architecture in the Sixteenth Century Through the Texts of Nicolò Sagri (1538–1571). A Comparative Perspective with Ibero-Atlantic Shipbuilding

Review of the research programme on the Mortella III wreck (2010-2020, Corsica, France): A contribution to the knowledge of the Mediterranean naval architecture and material culture of the Renaissance.

“…The hypothesis proposed in our initial work followed the model given by the Lomellina wreck. Our first study suggested the presence of an orlop located at 2.40 m above the keel, a first deck located at 4.27 m and a second deck at 6.15 m. In the light of the analysis of the documents from the Genoese archives, and the texts of Theodoro de Nicolò and Nicolò Sagri ( Cazenave de la Roche et al ., 2022 ), this hypothesis is currently being revised. An important fact to take into account is that in 16 th century Italian shipbuilding, the seconda coverta was generally located at or near the maximum breadth, where the waterline was also located.…”

“…Nevertheless, it seems to us that the navi described was necessarily equipped with an upper deck above the ‘ seconda coverta’ , given that the latter was generally located close to the waterline. The text of the Ragusan Nicolò Sagri, which explicitly mentions a ‘ tolda ’ above the second deck, while the Ragusan notarial contracts make no reference to it, seems to support this interpretation ( Cazenave de la Roche et al , 2022 ).…”