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Portuguese Great Ship (Nau)

Type Object Region Europe Time c. 1450–1650

The Portuguese nau was the main vessel type for European ocean trade and colonial expansion in the 15th–16th centuries, noted for multi-deck design, …

Timeline

  1. c. 1450–1500Setúbal · PortugalIn the second half of the 15th century, Portuguese shipwrights developed the nau type—combining multi-deck construction, square sails, and a stern rudder—drawing on Mediterranean merchant ships and Northern European sailing vessels, providing greater cargo capacity and living space for transoceanic voyages.
  2. 1501–1510Goa · GoaBetween 1501 and 1510, the Portuguese India fleet sent several naus each year back and forth between Lisbon and India's west coast, equipped with guns and soldiers, serving both commercial transport and military escort functions, and becoming the backbone of the Eastern spice trade.

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