"GREEK FIRE"
This was a mixture of sulphur, crude oil and quicklime, which emitted dense smoke and stank when put in contact with water, and due to the lime made a loud noise. This burning and smoking mixture floated on the surface of the water and, as it was very sticky, set ships on fire. The mixture was thrown to enemy ships from bronze tubes called siphons.
"Greek fire" was developed by the Byzantines and was used in battle. It was probably first used in battles in 673 to defend Byzantium from the Arabs. According to some sources, a similar substance had been used by Greek sailors much earlier. "Greek fire" is also considered to have influenced the development of gunpowder, although the latter is generally believed to have come from China. "Greek fire" was used until the 16th century.
NAVAL ARTILLERY
Naval artillery in the Mediterranean is first mentioned in the 1330s. It was used by the French, Spanish, English, Tunisian and Moorish sailors. In Dubrovnik and Venice, naval artillery is first mentioned in the 1370s.
The earliest cannon used on ships was a wood based bombard, the predecessor of the howitzer. In this period the cannon was not yet an important weapon as its 200 metre range did not cause major damage to the enemy. The catapult was still the favourite ship weapon. In the early period of naval artillery, ships were not strong enough to bear the weight of a cannon and the force of its firing. Cannons were quite unreliable and dangerous for the user. One of the most serious problems was fire, which lit up when the cannon was shot.
In the beginning galleys only had one bombard and some small cannons, while sailing ships already had several cannons. Sailors also used personal weapons such as the arquebuse, an early type of portable gun.
Like other weapons, the cannon was improved and made more reliable in the 16th century, but it still took a long time for the user to prepare the cannon for firing, and the range was not much better. At the time, the naval cannon was using a shorter barrel than the one used on land.
As artillery developed, ship makers started constructing stronger galleys to carry heavier weapons. Sailing ships were made stronger as well, and gun ports for broadside fire were introduced on lower decks.
In the second half of the 16th century, a big sailing warship could carry up to 1,100 tons of weight, a 700-man crew, 60 to 70 guns and up to 2,500 kilograms of gunpowder. In the second half of the 17th century, the tonnage of big warships had reached 1,500 tons, 600 men and 100 guns. In the 18th century ships of the line were improved and classified into categories (from 50 to 110 guns and 300 to 800 men), which greatly affected the tactics of battle at sea. Cannon fire was made three times faster, and the job of firing a cannon took on different tasks. Lengthened 500 metre range still allowed precision. When ship makers started producing iron ships, the cannon ball also needed improving, and in the beginning of the 19th century their range reached 4,000 metres.
Naval artillery benefited greatly from the development of the technical sciences (physics, mathematics, chemistry, etc.). There have been two periods in the development of artillery. The first period, in which plain barrels were used, lasted from the 14th to the 19th century. In the second period, which lasted until the end of World War II, channelled barrels were used. After World War II rocket guns were developed.
COLD WEAPONS
The collection of cold weapons displays swords, sabres, daggers and spears from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. These weapons were mostly used by native Venetian units (cernidas) and by French troops under Napoleon I. The sabres and swords used by naval infantries usually had shorter and lighter blades. There are also light dress swords and sabres which were used by Austrian officials. The collection also boasts of two parade sabres, an Austro-Hungarian and a Yugoslav sabre from the royal period. The oldest spears in the collection, two partisans, are from the 17th century. A triple-blade artillery dagger, which could also be used to measure the calibre of a cannon also dates back to the same period. As firearms improved, and firing them became safer, faster, more precise and reliable regardless of the weather, cold weapons lost their value in combat. Following 19th century, swords and daggers were mainly used as part of parade uniforms, a mark of distinction for a nobleman or an officer, or denoting an office or society (that of firemen for example).
PERIOD FIREARMS
For centuries firearms strove against the bow and arbalest, which not only continued to be more precise, faster and had a longer range, but were also much cheaper. As finer quality of steel was produced and technology advanced, firearms gained ground, and finally gave an equal opportunity to a physically weaker user.
The part of the gun which changed most was the gunlock. It was often produced to fit old models of firearms, so only the ignition was substituted, while the rest of the gun was kept. The oldest gunlocks contained a fuse. In the 16th century a complicated and expensive mechanism with a wheel was developed. About one hundred years later, flintlock was invented, and continued to be used by armies as well as hunters even in late 19th century.
In the 19th century many important inventions were introduced into the technology of firearms: muzzle-loaders with percussion ignition, breech-loaders, needle guns and rifles (bores with grooves were first used already in the 16th century). A significant invention was also smokeless gunpowder. Repeaters anticipated semiautomatic and automatic firearms. The faster smokeless gunpowder allowed smaller calibre and bullet, and increased precision and range.
Even in the 20th century hunters still used beautifully ornamented muzzle-loaders with percussion ignition.
Our collection contains some heavy flintlock arquebuses from the 17th and 18th century, several hunt and military guns and pistols with flintlock and percussion mechanisms. A very particular piece is a double-barrel flintlock pistol.