Venice Between Magnificence and Misery

Throughout the Middle Ages and all over Europe and the Mediterranean, Venetian merchants travelled throughout the known world, in search of lucrative business opportunities and trading in anything that could be bought and sold. Envied by its neighbours, Venice came up against powerful enemies, both Christian and Muslim, and ultimately found itself between the interests of Spanish, Austrian, and Turkish ambitions.

This book combines thirteen chapters previously written by the author throughout his career, discussing the history of Venice throughout this period. It covers topics such as: maritime trade, trade routes from Egypt to England, and how the Venetians exploited their overseas colonies. It also analyses the salt trade, public monopolies, the use of credit, and investment.

Venice Between Magnificence and Misery will appeal to students and scholars alike interested in the history of Venice throughout the Middle Ages, as well as the history of maritime trade and business.

Author Biography

Jean-Claude Hocquet (1936) is a university professor who has taught at universities in Paris, Venice, and Lille, and has given lectures at foreign universities and international conferences. Professor and director of research at the CNRS and EHESS (Paris), he is the author of a thesis, forty books, many of which have been translated, and numerous articles on Venice, whose archives and libraries he has frequented since 1958. A specialist in the history of salt, maritime trade and taxation, and the history of weights and measures, he is a scientific advisor to several international journals. He is now retired from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and lives in Lille.