Joaquim Vicente Foro, Master shipbuilder (act. 1761-1796)

The Brazilian covered galiotes and the corvette of Belém’s Royal Arsenal, (Brazil)

Abstract

Although unknown, Vicente Foro (act. 1761-1796) was an important master and shipbuilder at Belem’s Royal Arsenal, whose work is re-markably ichnographically documented. Apart from the project of the main Pará covered ca-noes, built from 1773 onwards, of singular im-portance is the drawing of the “Ship Plan” of a corvette, in 1786, which constitutes a very rare and unprecedented testimony of eighteenth--century Portuguese-Brazilian Naval Architec-ture and shipbuilding, which is here examined.