FLORENTINE MERCHANTS TRAVELING EAST THROUGH RAGUSA (DUBROVNIK) AND THE BALKANS AT THE END OF THE 15TH CENTURY

Abstract

Various unpublished letters and merchants’ memoirs dating from the late 15th century Tuscany have enabled us to investigate the reasons for the lack of a network of major European trade companies in the Bal- kans. Western operators chose to trade with the merchants of Ragusa (Dubrov- nik). Consequently, Ragusa assumed a dominant position in both the land trade routes with inland regions and in the land trade routes between East and West.