Maritime republic
The maritime term of republic applies to some coastal towns, mainly Italian, which, between the 10th century and the 13th century, knew an access of economic prosperity thanks to their marketing activity within the framework of a broad political autonomy.
However, in general, the use is reserved for four cities Italy: Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa and Venice. Many other independent cities also constituted a self government of oligarchical République , struck Monnaie, took part in the Croisades, had an important fleet and had Consul S in the port S Mediterranean. Are thus added to the list of maritime republics Gaète, Ancône, Trani and Raguse.
Historical context
The economic revival which took place in Europe around the An millet, as well as the insecurity of the terrestrial transportation routes, made that the commercial main roads developed on the coasts of the the Mediterranean. In this context, the increasing independence, assumed in turn by the aforesaid Italian seaboard towns, led them to assume a role of first order on the European level.In the political vacuum which characterized the top Moyen-âge, these cities, exposed to the incursions of the Pirate S, especially buckwheat S, organized in an autonomous way their defense while obtaining powerful fleets of war. At the 10th century and the 11th century, they were capable to pass to the offensive by exploiting the competitions between the maritime powers Byzantine and Moslem. The first maritime republic to obtain a considerable economic force was Amalfi.
For the control of the trade with the Asia and the Africa, the maritime republics entered in competition with the Arab , the Byzantine , then the Othoman .
Political context and economic
On the institutional level, the Republics were constituted in Gouvernement S autonomous, resulting from the commercial Corporation S which constituted the strength of the town power. Their history begins with the European expansion towards the Is, which was carried out by the control of the Mediterranean roads by tearing off with the Moslem naval supremacy. It is in this context that the first origins of the modern Capitalisme appear, with the commercial and financial direction.The merchants of the maritime republics Italy did not create the first economic forms of Capitalisme. By striking Currency S of gold, in disuse since centuries, by developing new operations of exchange and Accounts Department, they encouraged the technological advancements in the Navigation, support fundamental for the growth of their commercial richness. The maritime republics linked their efforts and founded Italian supremacy in the Mediterranean during the Croisade S, which offered the occasion to them to carry out their expansionist objectives.
Venice and Amalfi was already engaged in the trade with the Orient. However, with the Croisade S the phenomenon increased, and of the thousands of Italians emigrated towards the East, by creating bases, stopovers and commercial Comptoir S for the maritime Republics. It resulted from this a great political influence from the Italian merchants. They constituted in their business districts of associations in corporative matter, enabling them to obtain governments of the privileges jurisdictional, tax and customs local. Also, on the political plan, were born from the personal dominations.
The competitions between the republics were considerable and of many armed conflicts enamelled their history.
Four principal maritime republics
Republic of Amalfi
The Italian reconquests of the Byzantine emperor Justinien of 535 are reperdues vis-a-vis the expansion of the kingdom lombard in Italy of North, taking Ligurie into 640 and conquering most of the exarchat of Ravenne into 751, leaving to the Byzantines only the control of some small zones in Italy of the South like some coastal towns like Venice, Naples, Amalfi and Gaète.Amalfi, undoubtedly oldest of the maritime republics, had developed important exchanges with the Byzantine Empire and the Egypt. By the installation of trade route of the Southern Italy towards the the Middle East, at the 10th century, the merchants amalfitains competed with the Arabs who hitherto had the monopoly on the Mediterranean trade. Testifying to the size of Amalfi, a code of laws, named the Tables Amalfitaines ( Tavole Amalfitane ), gathered the rules of the maritime law of the time, codes remained valid lasting all the Moyen-âge. After having been more the naval great power of Italy, Amalfi was plundered by Pisans in 1137, whereas the republic was weakened by natural disasters (Inondation S) and its annexation with the Norman Royaume. After the conquest Norman, Amalfi declined quickly and Naples replaced it like new commercial pole.
Republic of Venice
The Byzantine empire occupying the majority of its military forces against the Moslem expansion, it could not fight against the catch of progressive autonomy of Venice as of the 9th century which is based on the constitution of a commercial fleet being able to moult itself in fleet of war of first importance.In spite of an increasing independence, Venice remained allied with Byzance in the Arab fight against S and Normand S. Towards the An millet, Venice overcame the Pirate S which occupied the coasts of the Istrie and put the area under its domination.
In the years 1200, Venice reached the roof of its power, by dominating trade route of the Mediterranean and with the East. At the time of the Fourth crusade (1202 - 1204), Venice annexed the islands and the ports of the Byzantine empire most important commercially. The conquest of the ports of Corfou (1207) and of Crete (1209) guarantees the trade to him towards the East, and this, until in Syria and Egypt, ending periods of commercial flows. At the end of the 14th century, Venice was the main commercial power of the Mediterranean and was to remain the richest State of Europe.
Republic of Pisa
In 1016, Pisa and Genoa were combined to push back Buckwheats by conquering the Corsica and the Sardinia, and thus to take the control of the Tyrrhenian Sea very whole. One century later, Pisa also conquered the islands Balearic Islands.Pisa had established its port with the mouth of the Arno, with Oporto Pisano. The republic reached the apogee of its splendor between, at the time where its ships controlled the the Western Mediterranean. However, the competition between Pisa and Genoa was accentuated at the 13th century, in particular through the control of Corsica, the favors of the the Holy See and, beyond, the entire control of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The battles naval of Meloria (1284) showed a defeat pisane vis-a-vis the forces génoises, with broad of Leghorn, close to the mouth of Arno. This event marked the beginning of the decline of the power pisane, with the abandonment from Corsica to Genoa and the transfer of part of Sardinia (1299).
Pisa was not any more whereas a City-State of Toscane, in constant competition with Florence, but without real claim on the sea.
Republic of Genoa
The maritime importance of Genoa appeared as of the time préromaine. The Ligure S had made city a commercial counter opened with the exchanges with the Greek communities , Etruscan Phénicie and S, so that it became one of the greatest business districts of the Mediterranean.Genoa was combined quickly with Rome, as well against the Ligurians of the interior as against the other coastal localities. After its destruction by the Carthaginian of the general Magon Barca, the city federated in Rome without subjecting itself. It owed this privilege with its role of police force of the Western Mediterranean, role which the sailors génois filled with a famous courage.
The community génoise took an particular importance at the dawn of the 10th century. After the bag of the city by the Buckwheats, its inhabitants turned again to the sea. The force of its fleet brought the recognition to him, by the emperor of the Holy roman Empire, of his claims of autonomy on the plans legislature and economic.
Its alliance with its rival, Pisa, allowed the release of the Tyrrhenian Sea of the Pirate S Moslems, thanks to the reconquest of the Corsica , the Sardinia, the Balearic Islands and the Provence.
The constitution of the Compagna Communis ( communal Company ), meeting of all the Corporation S of the city (named Partner ), to which the lords of all the surrounding valleys adhered, like those of the littoral, marked the birth of the government génois.
The fortune of the commune largely increased thanks to its participation in the First crusade, Croisade whose Génois were important protagonists and who offered the privilege for the community génoise of essaimer in many places in Holy Land. The republic of Genoa reaches its apogee at the 13th century thanks to the Traité of Nymphée, passed in 1261 with the Byzantine emperor Michel VIII Paleologist, and who excluded the Venetian ones from the straits which lead to the Black Sea. Moreover, the Battle of Meloria (1284), with broad of Leghorn, showed a final defeat for Pisa and the control of the Tyrrhenian Sea by Genoa.
Moreover, in 1298, Génois beat the Venetian fleet close to the Dalmatian island of Curzola. Thus, the domination of the seas remained the prerogative of Genoa during nearly seventy years, and this until the second Great War with Venice, which culminated with the Bataille of Chioggia-Tenedo in 1372. During the confrontation between the republics of Venice and Genoa, Venetian the Marco Polo was made prisoner and at the time of its imprisonment in the palate Saint-Georges, it dictated with his comrade of cell, Rustichello of Pisa, the account of its voyages.
After the dark bracket of the 15th century, marked by the epidemics of Plague and the foreign dominations, the city knew an access of splendor of approximately a century, following its release by Andrea Doria in 1528. Although the old aristocracy maintained a vitality essential, above all in the economic domain, the Republic, aiming of the great powers bordering such as the France and the Savoy, by the Napoleonean wave in 1805 was crushed. In 1815, Genoa was annexed to the Royaume of Sardinia, which in tiny room definitively prosperity and caused the emigration of its best workmen as well as most of the rural population towards the America S.
Sources
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