Italy and Its Medieval Port Cities - A full map of the trade routes controlled by Venice and Genoa in the Mediterranean during the 13th and 14th centuries.
Medieval Merchants and Trade
In the emerging bourgeois economy of the 13th and 14th centuries, the potential success of merchants grew ever greater. More and more people began to have the means to purchase more and more goods, and so the demand for such goods increased. Foreign spices, silks, and other less desired products were brought from around the world. The main players in the trade game were the Venetians and the Genoese. In an ongoing battle to control trade routes, the competition between these two cities was fierce, at times escalating into violent confrontations.