"Fazer navio, e o melhor possível"

the systematization of shipbuilding in the Livro da Fabrica das Naus (c. 1580) by Fernando Oliveira

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how nautical knowledge regarding naval architecture was systematized in the Livro da Fabrica das Naus (c.1580), written by Portuguese Fernando Oliveira. The treaty considered the first theoretical production on the theme in the Modern Era, which is the product of a context in which efforts were made by the Iberian Crowns to institutionalize activities and knowledge related to maritime expansion. It is also the result of the humanist formation of its author, marked by the resumption of the Classics, whether from a relationship of equality or overcoming, and the appreciation of experience. It is possible to examine, starting from such characterizations, how the treaty combined theoretical premises with utilitarian demands and practices of shipyards.