Political Economies of Empire in the Early Modern Mediterranean
The Decline of Venice and the Rise of England, 1450–1700

Early modern European economic development seen through the interaction of two major players in the Mediterranean economy: Venice and England.

Maria Fusaro (Author)

9781107060524, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 5 May 2015

433 pages, 6 b/w illus. 2 maps
23.5 x 15.8 x 2.6 cm, 0.76 kg

'The volume of research initiated for the production of this book is impressive, and has enabled Fusaro to create an imposing study that will prove vital for the early modern maritime historian. … The book is a valuable and authoritative contribution to the fields of early modern state formation, maritime studies, and economic history.' Benjamin W. D. Redding, The Mariner's Mirror

Against the backdrop of England's emergence as a major economic power, the development of early modern capitalism in general and the transformation of the Mediterranean, Maria Fusaro presents a new perspective on the onset of Venetian decline. Examining the significant commercial relationship between these two European empires during the period 1450–1700, Fusaro demonstrates how Venice's social, political and economic circumstances shaped the English mercantile community in unique ways. By focusing on the commercial interaction between Venice and England, she also re-establishes the analysis of the maritime political economy as an essential constituent of the Venetian state political economy. This challenging interpretation of some classic issues of early modern history will be of profound interest to economic, social and legal historians, and provides a stimulating addition to current debates in imperial history, especially on the economic relationship between different empires and the socio-economic interaction between 'rulers and ruled'.

Introduction: political economies of empire
1. The medieval background
2. The reversal of the balance
3. The Ottoman Levant
4. Genoa, Venice and Livorno (a tale of three cities)
5. Trade, violence and diplomacy
6. Diplomacy, trade and religion
7. The Venetian peculiarities
8. The English mercantile community in Venice
9. The English and other mercantile communities
10. The goods of the trade
11. Empires and governance in the Mediterranean
12. Coda and conclusions
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ], Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH], European history [HBJD], General & world history [HBG]