tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post1761653798297178611..comments2024-03-28T18:32:05.933-04:00Comments on bensozia: The Precise Odor of EmpireJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01037215533094998996noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8304928500646903522.post-23487502403848661652020-05-19T23:16:16.794-04:002020-05-19T23:16:16.794-04:00"Besides the 20 miles of rope, the sails of s...<i>"Besides the 20 miles of rope, the sails of such a ship had a total area of about 6,500 square yards, (5,430 sq m), which is about 4 acres."</i><br /><br />Ropewalks are one of my favorite kinds of buildings. In order to twist fibers into a 1,000 foot long rope (the standard for British ships), you need a building long enough to lay the strands out in a flat line to do it in - with a bit extra length on top, since braiding a rope shortens the strands used to make it.<br /><br />Curiously, the most impressive ropeway in history is far and away the Corderia della Tana at the Venetian Arsenal, stretching a whopping 3,015 meters (9,891 feet) - this despite Venetian ships being nowhere near the size of later British ships of the line, and the fact that the ropewalk in question was built in the late 1500s, when ships overall were still relatively small.<br /><br />A fun little modern twist - after it underwent historic restoration, and absent its original purpose, the Corderia della Tana has been used in recent decades to house exhibits of art and architecture, which strikes me a brilliant idea.G. Verlorennoreply@blogger.com