Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21857/ydkx2cwvo9
The Jewish Presence in the Maritime Trade of Grain during the 18th Century in the Adriatic Sea – from the Croatian Maritime Regesta, Volumes I–III
Zrinka Podhraški Čizmek
orcid.org/0000-0003-0620-2108
; Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Naida-Michal Brandl
orcid.org/0000-0003-4379-3445
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Piergabriele Mancuso
orcid.org/0000-0003-4630-0781
; The Medici Archive Project, Florence, Italy
Abstract
The main objective of this study is to analyse the role played by the Jews in the 18thcentury
Adriatic grain trade, according to the 16,000 documents that late professor Nikola
Čolak published in Regesti marittimi croati, volumes I–III. The Jewish merchants,
shopkeepers, parcenevoli and agents played a relatively small role in the trade of wheat,
maize, barley, and rye, especially if compared to other types of merchandise mentioned in
the Regesti. We found only 26 records, mostly in connection to the ports of Trieste and
Duino, Istria (with Pazin), and the Croatian Littoral (then the Austrian Littoral) – in
particular the cities of Rijeka and Senj, but also some more southern Adriatic territories,
such as Dubrovnik, and as south as Durrës in present Albania. This study allowed us
to identify the main trajectories of the Jewish grain trade, despite the relatively small
number of people involved in the widespread trading net that included Venice, Rimini,
Senigallia, Ancona, as well as Genova and Barcelona. The most active merchants are the
Morpurgo family based in Ancona (Eredi, Fratelli, Eredi Sanson Morpurgo also known
as Marpurgo), and the families Consolo, Rosolem, Pacifico, Treves, Levi del Banco and
Vitali. Information that appeared about the origin of the non-Jewish paroni / ship holders
and captains, with whom the Jewish traders collaborated, is rather interesting: there
were seven from Istria (Rovinj), five from Kvarner (Lošinj and Cres), one based in Dubrovnik,
one in Palazzolo del Friuli, four in Venice (more specifically from the islands of
Giudecca and Pellestrina), three in Loreo, a captain from France, and two from Holland.
This knowledge has enabled us to trace a glimpse of the commercial networks of the time.
Keywords
Jews; Morpurgo; grains; trade; Northern Adriatic; 18th century; Croatian Maritime Regesta; Codex Maritimus Diplomaticus Croatiae.
Hrčak ID:
274046
URI
Publication date:
11.3.2022.
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