Order of Malta.Ships-4. Galleass
Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2026 9:56 am
The stamp depicts a Venetian galleas (Galeazza Veneta). These ships combined features of both sail-and-oar galleys and purely sailing vessels, possessing impressive firepower for their time.
A galleas is a type of sail-and-oar warship. The name means "large galley." The first mentions of the term "galeas" date back to the 12th century, but these were apparently simply larger galleys. The galleas, as an independent type of ship, was part of European navies in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was essentially an intermediate type between a galley and a sailing ship. It differed from a galley primarily in its larger size and improved seaworthiness, particularly the ability to navigate in winter. Furthermore, unlike galleys, galleasses carried a gun deck located above or below the rowers' benches. A galleas was up to 70-80 meters long and up to 9 meters wide. The length-to-width ratio of the hull was intermediate between a galley and a sailing ship, approximately 6:1. The sides were high, which improved seaworthiness and greatly complicated boarding. The ship had a single row of oars, usually 32 benches per side. The classic Mediterranean galleas had three masts with fore-and-aft sails, while Spanish galleasses, like English ones, usually had a mixed rig for Atlantic cruising. The galleass' armament consisted of cannons (up to 70 guns of various calibers. Heavy guns were mounted in the stern and bow superstructures - the forecastle and aftercastle - made in the form of towers, as well as on the battery deck, and the latter could be located either above or below the oarsman's deck. In the first case, only light guns could be installed on it, while in the second, the lower position of the deck made it possible to place heavy guns on it without fear of the ship capsizing, however, firing required the coordinated work of the rowers, who had to simultaneously raise all oars before firing. The ship could accommodate a crew of up to one and a half thousand people, including landing forces. Finally, sailing on galleasses, despite improved seaworthiness compared to galleys, was never completely safe even in the Mediterranean Sea, not to mention ocean waters. As a result, the use of galleasses was They were only practical for large naval battles in calm weather, where they served as floating fortresses. Galleasses could reach good speeds in calm waters, quite comparable to those of a regular galley, but they were comparatively heavy and unwieldy, which hindered their successful maneuverability in the manner of galleys. Furthermore, galleasses were convenient for transporting troops and conducting landing operations. It was probably for this latter reason that they, like galleys, continued to be built as late as the 17th century, and according to some sources, even into the early 18th century, when well-armed sailing ships had long since proven their superiority in naval combat.
See image: This particular illustration appears frequently in works on Spanish history, such as Modesto Lafuente's General History of Spain (1879 edition). Galleasses played a vital role in major naval battles of the era, such as the Battle of Lepanto (1571) and the voyage of the Armada (1588).
Sovereign Order of Malta (SVMO) 1990; 10 scudi.
Source: https://ru.ruwiki.ru/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B0% ... 0%B0%D1%81.
A galleas is a type of sail-and-oar warship. The name means "large galley." The first mentions of the term "galeas" date back to the 12th century, but these were apparently simply larger galleys. The galleas, as an independent type of ship, was part of European navies in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was essentially an intermediate type between a galley and a sailing ship. It differed from a galley primarily in its larger size and improved seaworthiness, particularly the ability to navigate in winter. Furthermore, unlike galleys, galleasses carried a gun deck located above or below the rowers' benches. A galleas was up to 70-80 meters long and up to 9 meters wide. The length-to-width ratio of the hull was intermediate between a galley and a sailing ship, approximately 6:1. The sides were high, which improved seaworthiness and greatly complicated boarding. The ship had a single row of oars, usually 32 benches per side. The classic Mediterranean galleas had three masts with fore-and-aft sails, while Spanish galleasses, like English ones, usually had a mixed rig for Atlantic cruising. The galleass' armament consisted of cannons (up to 70 guns of various calibers. Heavy guns were mounted in the stern and bow superstructures - the forecastle and aftercastle - made in the form of towers, as well as on the battery deck, and the latter could be located either above or below the oarsman's deck. In the first case, only light guns could be installed on it, while in the second, the lower position of the deck made it possible to place heavy guns on it without fear of the ship capsizing, however, firing required the coordinated work of the rowers, who had to simultaneously raise all oars before firing. The ship could accommodate a crew of up to one and a half thousand people, including landing forces. Finally, sailing on galleasses, despite improved seaworthiness compared to galleys, was never completely safe even in the Mediterranean Sea, not to mention ocean waters. As a result, the use of galleasses was They were only practical for large naval battles in calm weather, where they served as floating fortresses. Galleasses could reach good speeds in calm waters, quite comparable to those of a regular galley, but they were comparatively heavy and unwieldy, which hindered their successful maneuverability in the manner of galleys. Furthermore, galleasses were convenient for transporting troops and conducting landing operations. It was probably for this latter reason that they, like galleys, continued to be built as late as the 17th century, and according to some sources, even into the early 18th century, when well-armed sailing ships had long since proven their superiority in naval combat.
See image: This particular illustration appears frequently in works on Spanish history, such as Modesto Lafuente's General History of Spain (1879 edition). Galleasses played a vital role in major naval battles of the era, such as the Battle of Lepanto (1571) and the voyage of the Armada (1588).
Sovereign Order of Malta (SVMO) 1990; 10 scudi.
Source: https://ru.ruwiki.ru/wiki/%D0%93%D0%B0% ... 0%B0%D1%81.