Original scientific paper
A Contribution to the Knowledge of Venetian Maritime Trade Policy toward the Counts of Krbava during the Middle of the XVth Century
Mislav Elvis Lukšić
Abstract
In this paper the author describes and analyses the trade policy of the Venetian Republic toward the Kurjaković counts from Krbava during the middle of the XVth century. He does this on the basis of the contents of rare Medieval Venetian documents which directly bear witness to these issues and which were composed between 1434 and 1457. Most of these documents were published in Šime Ljubić’s Listine o odnošajih izmedju Južnoga Slavenstva i Mletačke Republike. It is obvious from these historical sources that as far as the economic life of the neighboring teritories of the Krbava counts is concerned the Venetian attitude during the said period was emphatically protectionist. This was generally the policy of Venice when other’s interests were at stake. This created great difficulties for the economy of the region under the jurisdiction of the counts, especially as far as their two main market-towns under the Velebit mountain chain – Bag (Scrissa) and Obrovac – were concerned because the key trade route, the one over the sea, was under Venetian control as was the case with the broader Adriatic region. This is the reason why the Kurjaković noblemen were forced to seek, frequently without any success, from the Venetian authorities for themselves and their subjects trade privileges and the freedom of mercantile navigation between localities under their dominion as well as to North Adriatic fairs, but also to territories under Venetian control and to the localities in Marche, Abruzzi and Apulia within the Papal state and the Kingdom of Naples. However, since the Venetian concessions to these repeated appeals were as a rule restrictive and sometimes only symbolic, if they were granted at all, this contributed to the development of smuggling within the territories ruled by the counts. This was particularly the case with salt and other goods and it generated trade disputes, individual conflicts and contra-measures although both sides, at least declaratively, always insisted on mutually sound and friendly neighborly relationships.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
12125
URI
Publication date:
19.9.2003.
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