Povijesni prilozi, Vol. 21 No. 22, 2002.
Original scientific paper
Contribution to the Knowledge about the Presence and Activities of Croatian Tradesmen in Venice (15-18th century)
Lovorka Čoralić
; Hrvatski institut za povijest, Zagreb, Republika Hrvatska
Abstract
The research of the presence of Croatian tradesmen in Venice makes a significantly important part of problems of the Croatian Italian/Venetian connections in the past. Numerous preserved archive sources (from the Croatian and Venetian archives) make these problems rewarding for the research. This paper cannot even come close to presenting all basic components from the rich history of Croatian tradesmen in Venice. That is why I tried in this paper, based on chosen material from the Venetian archives (the State Archive in Venice: testaments, documents of the trade-craftsmen corporations, inventories: the Archive of St. George and Tripun brotherhood: books of annual meetings of the association), show some basic features from the life and activities of Croatian tradesmen in Venice. Tradesmen who became the permanent residents of the city on lagoons have particularly been dealt with.
The way of their mentioning in sources, the variety of business, place of residence and activities, economic possibilities, everyday life, family and relationship with friends, attitude to Venetian church institutions and clergymen, membership in the Croatian brotherhood St. George and Tripun and connection with the homeland have been referred to. The complete analysis shows certain differences between tradesmen with the permanent residence in Venice and those to who the city of St. Mark was only one of destinations among a network
of businesses along the Adriatic and the Mediterranean. It can also be undoubtedly claimed that the Croatian tradesmen - together with ship captains and shipmasters - the most elite part of the Croatian immigration community. We can conclude that the history of presence
and activities of Croatian tradesmen in Venice has been the issue that has not yet been researched or exhausted and each new contribution on that subject represents a step forward to the knowledge about one of the most frequent form of communications between two neighbouring Adriatic coasts.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
28665
URI
Publication date:
11.11.2002.
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