French galley La Réale (1694)

For other ships with the same name, see La Réale.
The “Réale” returning to port
History
Kingdom of France
Namesake: "Royal"
Laid down: December 1692
Launched: April 1694
Commissioned: May 1694
Decommissioned: 1720
General characteristics
Displacement: 280 tonnes
Length: 57 m (187 ft)
Beam: 7.7 m (25 ft)
Draught: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)
Propulsion:
  • Sail
  • 30 pairs of oars, 6 rowers to each oar
Complement:
  • 360 rowers
  • 45 oar officers
  • 35 officers
  • 110 soldiers
Crew: 550 (total)
Armament:
  • one 36-pounder
  • two 8-pounders
  • two 6-pounders

La Réale ("the royal") was a galley of the French galley corps, and the flagship of the French galley fleet under Louis XIV. She was designed by Jean-Baptiste Chabert, and built in Marseille between 1692 and 1694.[1]

Status

La Réale was termed a galère extraordinaire ("extraordinary galley") since she had a larger crew than normal fleet galleys.[2]

The status of Réale was thus defined:

“ (Réale) is the name of the main galley of an independent kingdom, not of a tributary kingdom annexed to a greater one. The Réale, in France, is reserved for the general of the galleys and flies the royal ensign which distinguishes it from the others. This ensign is square in shape and red in colour, with golden fleurs-de-lys. The main galley of the Pope is also named Réale because of the precedence granted by all crowned heads of Roman Catholic States to this leader of the Church of Rome. The Kingdoms of Cyprus and Candia, once the possessions of the Republic of Venice, give it permission to grant the quality of Réale to the first among its galleys. The Genoese argue for the same rights because of the Kingdom of Corsica. But the contests for the right of salute between this (Genoese Réale) and captains from Tuscany and Malta have long kept her from taking to sea. The main galleys of Naples, Sicily and Sardinia are each called captains Réale. [3] ”

The decorations of the stern are on display at the Musée de la Marine in Paris. The museum also features a contemporary model of an ordinary galley modified to look like the Réale.

Notes

  1. ↑ Les pavillons de la marine sous l’Ancien Régime
  2. ↑ In the French nomenclature for galleys, "ordinary galleys" had 26 pairs of oars with 6 oarsmen per bank; "extraordinary" ones had 29, 30 or 32 banks with 6 or 7 oarsmen.
  3. ↑
    “ C'est le nom de la principale galère d'un royaume indépendant, mais non pas d'un royaume feudataire, et qui est annexé à un plus grand. La Réale est destinée en France pour le général des galères, et elle a l'étendard royale qui la distingue des autres. Cet étendard est de figure carrée et de couleur rouge, semé de fleurs de lys d'or. La principale galère du Pape est aussi appelée Réale, à cause du pas que toutes les têtes couronnées des États catholiques donnent à ce chef de l'Église de Rome. Les Royaumes de Cypre et de Candie, que la République de Venise a possédés, l'autorisent à donner la qualité de Réale à la première de ses galères. Les Génois prétendent la même cause à cause du Royaume de Corse. Mais les contestations arrivées pour le salut, entre cette galère et les capitaines de Toscane et de Malte, l'empêchent depuis longtemps de paraître en mer. Les principales galères des escadres de Naples, de Sicile et de Sardaigne, s'appellent chacune capitain Réale. (Dictionnaire de Marine, Jean Covens and Corneille Mortier, 1702) ”
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