The building of the galleys was the key to medieval trade. Here are the items which they brought:
Salt: obtained from artificial salt pools on the islands surrounding Venice; natural lagoons on the Bay of Biscay; the salt wells of L�nenburg and mines in Salzburg.
Salt went eastward to the Slavic states, north to Scandinavia, England and France.
Temporary cities were established along the North Sea: fishers, coopers, rope makers, blacksmiths and other artisans as well as suppliers of food and drink. Estimated to be 300,000 men.
Wine: produced in Southern Europe, Gascony, Guienne, Bordeaux and Burgundy were most notable. Italy, Greece and Crete also produced wine. Import duties on wine were one of the principal sources of English royal income. The desire to control the wine trade was one of the reasons for the Hundred Years War.
Wool: Eastern England, northern Spain, also Ireland (although I don't know if the Irish were in on this, or the wool came from the area controlled by the English). Wool was another big money maker for English royalty. Sent to textile centers in Flanders, France and Italy. Flemish and Italian cities grew in wealth by producing woolen, linen, cotton and silk merchandise.
Other trade items:
France, Italy and Germany also produced armor, swords, firearms and cutlery. Italy produced iron, glass and works in gold, bronze and silver. They also produced leather goods, carved wood, illuminated manuscripts and musical instruments.
From England: wool, cloth, hides, leather, iron, lead, tin and pewter.
From Bruges: serge (twilled worsted cloth), caps, cutlery, brass and bowstrings.
Europe also produced tallow, hemp, honey, soap, wax and grain, copper, silver and gold.
Brought to Western Europe from northern and eastern Europe: Lumber, pitch, fur, potash, beer, fish and bacon.
Also traded was sugar, candy, spices, currants, dates, wine, alum, dyes, drapery, cottons silks, armor, paper, glass, books, etc.
Ireland: wool, linen and otter skins.
Mediterranean Islands: Olives, nuts, dyes, wine, leathers and cotton.
From Arab nations: textiles, many new foods and spices including dates, raisins and licorice.
From the Far East: drugs, perfume, medicine, dyes, silks, cotton, ivory, porcelain, precious stones and spices.
The leading nations during The Renaissance were Italy, France, Germany, the Low Countries (Holland, Belgium, the Rhineland), England, and also Spain and Portugal.
The Hanseatic League:
Was comprised of cities located in northern Germany. During the 13th century, these villages grew from agriculture and serfdom to commerce, freedom and self-government.
Traded (and established colonies) from England to as far as Russia. The most important were in Bruges, Bergen, Novgorod and London.
In the Baltic region, the north German trading towns had what was known as the Hanse, which means league or confederation. This Hanseatic League united German merchants in the 14th and 15th centuries, and the leading towns were L�beck, Hamburg, Bremen and Danzig. Had almost 100 member-towns at its fullest. The League shipped fish, timber, furs, metals amber and English wool.
Along with its riches, the Hanse also had great independence, developing for themselves a military and political presence. Its "capital" was in the guildhall at L�beck. They had their own flag, diplomats and legal code called the "Law of L�beck". They had the right to wage war and arrange peace agreements.
During the 15th century the English challenged the German colonies in Norway. Seeking to eliminate the competition, the Germans broke into the English settlement, assaulted them and confiscated their goods. In an incident at sea, the Germans captured 96 English fishermen, bound their hands and feet and tossed them overboard.
The Hanseatic League's decline was due to the changing of the trade routes to Holland, England, Spain and Portugal. Along with the monarchical super powers that developed in England, France, etc., the League also contributed to its own downfall. There were rivalries, lack of interest in the guildhall meetings and slowness to supply soldiers and weapons during conflict. Also growing in power at this time was Sweden, Russia and Brandenburg-Prussia, the eastern portion of German influence.
The main area for Europe's rise during the Renaissance was Italy and the
Mediterranean. The leading city was Venice followed by Genoa, Lucca, Pisa, Florence, Milan, Siena and several others.
Prosperous French cities: Narbonne, Montpellier, Marseilles and others.
Spain had Barcelona.
Leading Italian cities:
Venice:
the Republic of Venice ruled trade in the 14th and 15th centuries. Their shipping fleet was superior to anything else.
Venice had 45 galleys that sailed to Flanders (now Belgium), Beirut, Black Sea, Alexandria, Francea and England (London and Southampton). They also transported pilgrims to Jaffa in the Holy Land. Venice also had ambassadors in trade cities.
The decline of Venice:
15th century: Ottoman Turks took a bite out of Venetian East-West trade. Venice was forced to send more ships eastward along with more men, and spend more money for defense and war.
16th century: The discovery of America and an all-water route to the
Indies (around Africa) led to the emergence of Spain and Portugal as competitors. By the 17th century, Venice was no longer a factor.
Shipbuilders of the Venetian Arsenal were known as the Arsenalotti. Also coming from the Arsenal besides the ships was cloth, glass and leather.
Milan:
Milan was a key trade route: textile, metallurgical, velvet, brocades, weapons and armor. Milan's specialties: industry, banking, merchants, wool, architecture, music, poetry, literature, science etc.
12th century: was a republic run by nobility and a council or parliament (Parlemento) middle class citizenry participating. Its power seized in 1277 by the Visconti family, henchmen for the Archbishop of Milan. The Dukedom became hereditary, aided by legal recognition by the "Holy" Roman Emperor. The family became exceedingly rich.
One of the 15th c. dukes gave something back to the people by doing, among other things, building a hospital and adding more irrigation canals throughout the duchy. His son had Leonardo da Vinci in his court, among the artists and intellectuals.
Removed from throne by French in 1500 and died in prison. Milan ruled by Spain in 1535 for about 200 years.
Florence:
Bankers and merchants governed Florence. This did not ensure stability, however, as there were class conflicts.
The Hohenstaufen, aka Waiblings and Welf conflict: Began in 1138 over the selection of the German emperor Conrad of Hohenstaufen.
Became known as Guelfs (welfs) and Ghibellines (Waiblings) in Italy.
Late 1200's Guelfs influence in Florence exiled the Ghibellines their version of government was controlled seven major guilds, mostly woolen masters, bankers and exporters. There were constant troubles and finally a major revolt in 1378 by woolen workers.
Bankruptcies, military defeats to Milan and Lucca, infighting, class struggles and the poor and un-represented looking for more caused problems. Some Guelf leaders were exiled and in 1434.
Medici family ruled sixty years. Was as unscrupulous as everyone else seeing power. Taxed the rich to help the poor. The poet Dante held high office in the 1290's, then banished.
From 1494-1530, the Florentines sought a republic, but the Medici returned.
Venice:
Venice had a constitution from the early 14th century that kept to peace.
Ruled by a duke (Italian: doge). Legislature was a general assembly of all it citizens. The merchants did not want a too powerful duke and a business-like assembly. Had their own Great Council of limited membership, and merchant families were listed in the "Golden Book". Elected the duke and some Senate members.
The �College� ran the Venetian government. This was an executive committee of the Senate and the elected and secret Council of Ten that maintained the security of the Republic. Its government was controlled by the rich few, who acted as benefactors.
