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Arsenali Medicei, Mostra permanente "Le Navi Antiche di Pisa" - Pisa in Tuscany

At the beginning of the 13th century, following the numerous important victories carried off by the Pisan fleet throughout the Mediterranean basin, the Pisan Republic determined to concentrate large-scale construction work in a single area. The Pisans opted for an area to the west of the city known as Tersana or Tersanaia, from the word “terzarolo”, the smallest of the three lateen sails of galleys. Long and extensive work led to the construction, in 1264, of the new republican shipyard, with sheds and wharves. Remains of the 13th-century structures include the brick arches in the defence wall along the River Arno, and the 14th-century blind arches of the sheds. These were laid out in a lozenge pattern to take advantage of the bed of the former River Auser, which, before disemboguing into the Arno, flowed across the area, serving as a launching and docking canal for boats. The shipyard assumed greater importance in the 15th century, when a new bridge (Ponte a Mare), a new gate (Porta a Mare) and four towers were built in the area. In 1394 the new prince of Pisa Iacopo d’Appiano, fearing the return of the faction that supported the rival Gambacorti family, began converting the shipyard into a citadel fortified with towers, where he stationed a permanent garrison.

The Florentines radically transformed the republican shipyard, and built the Cittadella Vecchia (old citadel) as distinct from the Cittadella Nuova (new citadel), built from 1440 at the opposite corner of the city. In the latter half of the 16th century, under the rule of Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, the large spaces of the shipyard were used for breeding the horses of the grand ducal army, while all shipbuilding activities were moved to the former herb garden, where the large sheds of the Medicean shipyard stand today. Starting in the 18th century and throughout the 19th century, the buildings of the Cittadella served as storehouses, stables and barracks. In 1944 all the area was badly damaged by allied bombing.

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