Original scientific paper

Recanati and Dubrovnik till the mid 17th century

Bogumil Hrabak ; Filozofski Fakultet, Novi Sad, Srbija

Abstract

Agreements made in the 13th century and the intensive goods' exchange particularly in the period from 1420-1520 were possible because Dubrovnik and Recanati had very developed economy and exchanged their goods particularly from their hinterlands. Dubrovnik exported mining and cattle products and Recanati manufacturing and some agricultural articles. Dubrovnik exported silver, silverware, lead, wax (from Niš, Bulgaria, Jedren), treated goat and ship skin (from Skopje, Sofia, Foča), raw beef skin (from Podunavlje), wool blankets and capes (especially from Užice), carpets, heavy coats, stone steps from Korčula, horses and oak bard from Albania.
They supplied spices from Alexandria, particularly in the period from 1510-1526 and grains from Arta but only during unfruitful years. Slaves from Bosnia were not brought. English, South-French and Spanish textiles and Toscanian silk fabrics were taken over in Recanati as well as Spanish wool, linen, cotton, were (around the 14th century) and from time to time grains (particularly for Istria).
People in Recanati sold, bought, bartered, speculated, appeared before market's judges or municipal court. Before going to the fair they established trade associations, monopolized ships’ spaces, nominated proxies, elected commissioners.
For the reason of mixing people from different parks of the world Recanati was a place where infection diseases spreaded easily, plague in particular. Many merchants and sailors died on their journeys. The fair was held in September. When suppling with fabrics profit was 25%, in trading usual 20% and the merchants were credited to 20%.
Sometimes Recanati was the place where re-export was organized, especially the spices to the other places in Italy. Ship-owners, from the islands around Dubrovnik in particular, were specialized for transporting goods to the fairs, they were usually insured of the invading Christian and Moslem pirates during the fair. They got bombs and small cannons from the Commune. Dubrovnik settlers in Bulgaria and Serbia had connections with fairs through Dubrovnik as well as Bosnians (Foča, Sarajevo), Turks, Greeks and Jews from Valona and this other Albanian places. The Jews from Albania were considered smugglers. Dubrovnik visited different people (bishops, soldiers, professors) from Recanati.
The author included prices and services and the other commercial conditions (customs duty, measures, exchange rates) in this article. Big traffic disappeared already around 1520.
At the beginning of the 17th century the fair in Senigalia overtook the one in Recanati. But it was the Candian war that cut off completely the coming of merchants from Dubrovnik and Turkish citizens to the annual fair in Recanati.

Keywords

trade; Recanati; Dubrovnik

Hrčak ID:

241404

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/241404

Publication date:

20.6.1988.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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