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Discover the largest ship in the world built in Brazil and which gave its name to Galeão Airport, the second largest airport in the country. The ship had the capacity to transport 4 thousand people
Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport, popularly known as Galeão Airport, is one of the most important in Rio de Janeiro. What many don't know is that this name dates back to largest ship in the world built in Brazil in the 17th century. This ship, an imposing vessel called “Galeão,” was a milestone in Brazilian naval history and left a lasting legacy that is reflected in the name of the airport. Discover more about this fascinating historical connection that few know about in the Brazilian shipbuilding industry.
The largest ship in the world built in Brazil had capacity for 4 thousand people
Being the second largest airport in Brazil in terms of international movement, Galeão Airport, on Governador Island, takes in popular parlance the name of a class of very daring warships in the period between the 16th and 17th centuries. structures four masts and a rounded stern that, together, gave these ships speed and agility in maneuvers.
Around 1600, with the Portuguese already installed on Brazilian soil, Portugal, still an empire, suffered from the loss of its colonies to Spain. As a way of trying to reverse the situation, the Portuguese crown decided to make a huge order from its main colony: Brazil.
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The location where Galeão airport is located today, on the island that belonged to the governor of Rio de Janeiro, was chosen for the construction of a galleon, the largest ship in the world built in Brazil, which would help Portugal in its military objectives.
Using labor, the largest ship in the world built in Brazil was manufactured over four years, under the command of nautical technicians from Lisbon. Named “Eternal Father”, the vessel had a 56 meter structure with 180 hatches, 144 cannons and a crew of 4 thousand men.
Ship attracted attention where he went
Launched into the sea in 1664, the ship that gave its name to Galeão Airport participated in the discovery of the new route between the East and Europe, via the sea of Arctic. Without an exact date, it is known that the largest ship in the world built in Brazil sank years later, when it had already been left behind by steam ships.
According to information, it was such a large ship that speculation about it began to circulate throughout Europe even before it left Rio de Janeiro. In March 1665, the Portuguese newspaper Mercúrio Portuguez, from Lisbon, referred to the construction, in Brazil, of the most famous war equipment that the seas have never seen, arousing the curiosity of the local community.
Part of the equipment had been carefully produced by colonial artisans from Rio de Janeiro. Including carved woodwork and a stunning golden chapel, which attracted the admiration of two Italian Capuchin priests who later visited it on the Lisbon pier.
What is the largest warship in the world today?
In addition to this ship, which gave rise to the name of Galeão Airport, the USS Gerald R. Ford It is currently the largest warship in the world. The ship, which belongs to the United States Navy, is 333 meters long and 41 meters wide and has the capacity to house up to 4,5 people, in addition to 90 planes and helicopters.
Recently, the ship was placed under NATO command to participate in maneuvers in the Norwegian Sea. In total, the Gerald R. Ford Strike Group is made up of its flagship and namesake, the aircraft carrier US$ Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), a grouping of air squadrons called Carrie Air Wing Eight (CVW 8) , Destroyer Squadron Two (DESRON 2), among others.
