History and characteristics of the Maritime Republics: Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa and Venice. What they are and what they are. History and characteristics.
The term maritime republic defines a port city that from the Middle Ages , thanks to the intense commercial activity that comes from its privileged geographical position, becomes rich and powerful. Thanks to this economic prosperity, the maritime republic maintains political autonomy, strength and power.
Maritime Republics: what are they?
At the end of the early Middle Ages, most of the Italian coasts had not suffered barbarian occupations thanks to the presence of the Byzantine fleet. While in the rest of Italy there was feudalism , cities such as Venice , Pisa , Genoa , Amalfi , Gaeta, Naples , Trani and Bari were able to maintain their independence and continue undisturbed trade with the Byzantine East. This independence is important for the statutes that will be taken as a model when (around 1100 AD) the municipalities were born . The best known and most powerful maritime republics are four . They have maritime trade and shipbuilding in common but are territorially different:
- Veniceis a lagoon city;
- Port of Genoa;
- Amalfiadjacent to the sea with the mountains behind;
- Pisais a river city with the Arno estuary 6 km away (today 11 km).
Maritime Republics: Characteristics
Independence . In fact, the maritime republics are city-states. They have their own laws and their own currency recognized and accepted throughout the Mediterranean . They have a republican government and consuls (i.e. their own representatives) in the foreign countries with which they trade and vice versa, or rather they in turn have foreign representatives in the city. They participate in crusades and initiatives aimed at repressing piracy . Participating in crusades also gave the possibility of commercial expansion. The repression of piracy was instead a necessity, to remove a serious threat to maritime traffic and therefore to profits.
Source: getty-images
Amalfi
Amalfi , although it was dependent on the Byzantine Empire, since the 10th century had a government presided over by a duke elected by the people. With its ships (used for trade but not for war) it touched many Mediterranean ports where colonies were founded. Amalfi created the first constitution, the so-called “ Amalfi Tables ”, the first example of maritime laws . The trade routes of Amalfi and Pisa were similar: with two attacks on its antagonist (in 1135 and 1137 respectively) Pisa defeated its rival.
Pisa
Around the 9th century AD Pisa began to build an independent state. This republic had a strategic geographical position , both from a commercial and defensive point of view: thanks to the presence of the Arno made navigable by the sharp ships at their disposal, the river also represented an efficient weapon in the defense of the city. The Pisans created a collection of laws called the “ Statute ”, written by the consuls who commanded the republic. The consuls were elected directly by the people from among those belonging to the seven arts (carpenters, wool and sail workers, cotton, silk, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, butchers, apothecaries, or pharmacists). Pisa fought against the Saracens also with the help of Genoa, managing to drive them out of Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily – where they requisitioned the pagan marbles in 1054 – from Africa and the Balearic Islands.
In the various conflicts between republics, Pisa was finally defeated by the Genoese in the naval battle of Meloria (1284).
Genoa
Genoa was initially governed by the Obertenghi marquises but eventually became an autonomous state . The first Doge (head of government) was Simon Boccanegra (1339), although the Campagna (the association of merchants and navigators) played an important role in the government. Genoa was in conflict with Venice which was initially defeated in the battle of Curzula (1298). In 1380 it instead prevailed, defeating the Genoese at Chioggia.
Source: ansa
Venice
It was born at the time of the barbarian invasions when some Romans took refuge on the islands of the lagoon. Of all the islands, Rialto is the most important because it was here that the government was based. Venice obtained independence from the Byzantines with the Pact of Lothair in 840. Its strategic geographical position allowed Venice to become the intermediary of trade between the East and the West . When Byzantine authority weakened and then disappeared, the duke was replaced with the doge, an initially hereditary office that later became elective. The doge was assisted by the Maggior Consiglio (aristocrats) and the Consiglio Minore (citizens). The rise of Venice occurred with the occupation of Dalmatia (1000 AD) when the doge took the title of Duce of the Venetians and Dalmatians. The Republic of Venice ended in 1797 when Napoleon , with the Treaty of Campo Formio, sold it to Austria.
