Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg
Arsenal at Venice: 1732
The music is Morisco music, found on Iberian Garden, Vol. 1 by
Altramar. The piece is Muwashshah: Mā li-l-muwallah, 1113-1198.
This music takes place at the beautiful gardens along the Guadalquiver, near Cordoba.
This is during the "convivencia" under Alfonso X (El Sabio - The Wise), the time
before Granda fell: when Christians, Moslems and Jews lived at peace with each
other. Muwashshah are songs in poetic form, with instrumental interludes in the
form of Ibn Bājja (Avempace): 1470-1520. This is Morisco art.
Galleys were designed and construced at "arsenals" (shipyards).
The word "arsenal" originated from the Turkish "tersana",
from the Arabic word "dar-sina-'a" or "dar accina'ah".
One such arsenal was at the Sea power of the "Serenissima" (Venice),
the "Arsenale". A galley constructed at the Venice shipyard required
the work of many specialists: