Variorum Collected Studies
2 total works
Mediterranean Encounters, Economic, Religious, Political, 1100-1550
by David Abulafia
Published 27 December 2000
This third volume by David Abulafia looks at the interactions between territories, peoples and religions across the Mediterranean, and at the influence of the Mediterranean economy on the world beyond. Topics addressed are trade across the Christian-Muslim frontier; the relative importance of local and long distance trade in economic development; the policies of Frederick II and his successors towards the Jews and Muslims; and the complex political relationships within the western and central Mediterranean in the aftermath of the revolt of the Sicilian Vespers. Attention is also paid to Italian merchants and bankers as far afield as London and Southampton, and to the business affairs of Lorenzo de'Medici. Taken together, these papers present an original, Mediterranean, perspective on the economy, society and politics of central and late medieval Europe.
From the 12th century onwards merchants from the north Italian and southern French towns were able to take advantage of Christian conquests in southern Italy, Sicily and the Levant to penetrate and dominate the markets of these regions and of North Africa. The articles collected in this volume examine the economic, social and religious impact of this combination of trade and conquest . They include studies of the survival of Jews and Muslims in Sicily, of the debate about the 'under-development' of medieval southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia, of relations between the rulers of those regions and the merchants, and of mercantile penetration into the kingdom of Jerusalem, Cyprus and Tunis in the wake of Crusaders and Sicilian kings. A partir du 12e siecle, les marchands venant des villes du Nord de l'Italie et du Sud de la France etaient devenus A mAme de tirer avantage des conquAtes chretiennes en Italie du Sud, en Sicile et dans le Levant et de penetrer, ainsi que de dominer les marches de ces differentes regions et de l'Afrique du Nord. Les articles rassembles dans ce volume examinent l'impact economique, social et religieux de cette association entre la conquAte et le commerce. Le recueil comprend des etudes sur la survie des Juifs et des Musulmans en Sicile, sur le debat A propos du 'sous-developpement' de l'Italie meridionale, de la Sicile et de la Sardaigne au Moyen Age, sur les rapports entre les dirigeants de ces regions et les marchands, ainsi que sur la penetration mercantile du royaume de Jerusalem, de Chypre et de Tunis, dans le sillon des Croises et des rois de Sicile.