When compared to other European powers like France, England and Spain were did Venice get it supplies to build ships from? Was it ever hampered by lack of supplies to build it galleys,etc.?
Sources and further readings appreciated.
The land surrounding Venice provided a wide range of timbers of excellent ship-building quality which, as a state-run operation, were exclusively available to the Arsenal and not private ship yards in the city. These lands were gained by the Venetian Republic in wars on the Italian mainland and were invaluable on their road to becoming a ship-building powerhouse.
Follow-up question: how exactly did the Arsenal work? How did it produce ships, and how was it able to make them so quickly?