Known as Arsenale di Venezia in Italian, the Venetian Arsenal is a massive complex of former shipyards and armories. Constructed around 1104 — in the Republican era — this complex spans an impressive area of 45 hectares. It was once Venice’s pride and joy, a stellar representation of Venice’s naval prowess. In fact, even Galileo played a crucial role here, acting as a consultant to the Arsenal, which was responsible for the production of the majority of Venice's maritime trading vessels. Over the last few decades, the Venetian Arsenal has been dramatically transformed and converted into arts and cultural spaces. The most notable ones include the pavilions for the Venice Biennale and the Naval Museum. Steeped in history and culture, this is a place not to be missed.