[AUDIO EN BLANCO] Hello, I’m Ida Mauro, an associate professor at the Department of Modern History. We’re still at the Maritime Museum in Barcelona to conclude this topic on the network of ports in the Mediterranean in the modern era with a bonus segment dedicated to a centre of Mediterranean circulation, none other than the Republic of Venice. Here we have an expert in the field, Dr. Enrico Valseriari from the University of Verona, who over some months is conducting a postdoctoral research project in Barcelona in association with our Department. Hi Enrico. Hello everyone. What role did Venice play in the Mediterranean? It is impossible to speak of the Mediterranean and its economic, cultural and political life without mentioning Venice. Its role in commerce and trade and its republican government made it into, from the middle ages, the indisputable heroine of the Mediterranean, especially in the eastern region. The Adriatic, also known as the Gulf of Venice, Was the first and fundamental maritime departure point from the Serenissima, founded as a city-state and later reinforced with solid local support throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, from Dalmatia to Crete, by way of the Ionian Islands and the settlements in the Byzantine Empire. What was the secret to its commercial strength? The commercial strength of Venice resided in its constitutional form and in the organization of its merchant navy. Divided over specific routes and managed by the Senate, Venetian ships were built by the State and contracted out to private citizens, mainly members of the aristocracy, who took them to the major ports on the Mediterranean and, especially, to Egypt, Syria and Constantinople, and also to Barcelona, Valencia, London and Flanders. The principle market place for selling the products they had bought, typically spices, perfumes and silk, was the Rialto Market in Venice, which also saw trade in important raw materials, foods and semi-finished goods, coming from Continental Europe and, in particular, from the interior of Venice, a small but significant territory conquered in the 15th century, lying between Bergamo and Istria. These products, in turn, shipped from Venice to the most important ports and markets in the Near East and Europe, and were widely appreciated for their quality. When did Venice’s commercial and naval wealth reach its peak? The system hit its heights in the 15th century. At that time the industry, foreshadowing the modern concept of factory work, employed around 3.5% of the total population of Venice. Prestigious galleys and galleasses regularly emerged from its walls, ideal craft for sailing the waters of the Mediterranean sea but much less suited to the great oceans. The circumnavigation of Africa and the discovery of America, alongside withdrawal from the European political scene, caused the rapid decline of the Venetian hegemony over shipping and trade in the 16th century, despite the victory in the Battle of Lepanto. The Mediterranean appeared pond-like in comparison with the immensity of the oceans, but did not lose its significance for Europe or its contact with the Orient, and it was Venice, above all, that retained, although in a reduced capacity, commercial supremacy in trade relations with the Near East and the Ottoman Empire. The 18th century is sometimes associated with a period of substantial deterioration. Is that really how it was? Only to a certain extent. Venice found itself in inexorable decline, overwhelmed by massive public debt and as a result of its withdrawal from the European and global political scene. Despite its superiority in the area of press and information, the Republic could not, in the age of enlightenment, change its aristocratic nature and evolve as a cosmopolitan city in a truly democratic sense. At the same time, the legend of its independence and its republican system, as well as its lively arts, literary and musical culture, made it the preferred destination for travellers, including diplomats and others embarking on the famous Grand Tour of Europe. Thanks to them and its extraordinary urban shape, the legend of Venice never fails to impress researchers and ordinary visitors alike. [AUDIO EN BLANCO]