Supplying Timber for his Majesty’s Fleets: Forest Resources and Maritime Struggle in Portugal (1621–1634)

Abstract

It is noteworthy that there were various trade routes by which timber was imported from Northern Europe to Portugal. This chapter however focuses on the forests in Portugal belonging to the Crown and some others located in Portugal that were exploited for the King, although they were owned privately. This does not mean that there were no other territories and forests within Portugal devoted to this purpose, as indeed they were. For that reason, this contribution is restricted to both ships used in the King’s fleets and the Carreira da India. The maritime and military conflicts of the Spanish Monarchy led to the development of an intensive and spectacular shipbuilding industry, and Portuguese forests did not have the capacity to effectively supply the entire demand of timber for shipbuilding.