Original scientific paper
FROM FAIR TO FAIR: MARITIME COASTAL TRADE AND THE RHYTHM OF PATRON SAINTS’ FESTIVITIES ON THE ADRIATIC AT THE END OF THE MIDDLE AGES
Sabine Florence FABIJANEC
Abstract
One of the consequences of gathering to honor gods in antiquity (or specific patron saints in Christianity) was influx of people and goods from rural surroundings to urban centers. Although the festive character of such gathering was dominant, during the time economic
aspects became more important, especially since such gatherings provided a great number of potential customers at one place, and commerce was temporary liberated from certain taxes during the festivity days. Emergence and growth of trade fairs on the Eastern
and Western Adriatic coasts were quite compatible processes following similar patterns: choice of patron saint after particular miracle, liberation of taxes during the festivity / fair days, broadening of privileges among merchants and entrepreneurs with the extension
of the fair days, occurrence of conflicts between neighboring cities regarding the fair calendar because of the (un)fair competition. Consequently, a huge network of fairs was established along both Adriatic shores, and this enabled trade with great profit and fairly
straightforward financial transactions. The majority of the fairs were held in the period between spring and autumn, and their peak was the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Keywords
Fair; religious holiday; free trade; interests conflicts; late Middle Ages; Ancona; Fermo; Lanciano; Recanati; Rimini; Senigallia; Bakar; Rab; Rijeka; Senj; Split; Trogir
Hrčak ID:
135379
URI
Publication date:
19.12.2014.
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