The Lost Maritime Republic of Ragusa
When it comes to the great trading centers of the Middle
Ages everyone names the usual three cities: Venice, Genoa and Pisa. But, there were
other cities that were important centers of trade turning that time. The one
that I found the most interesting is not even it Italy. Most were coastal
cities on the Italian Peninsula, But not Ragusa. Ragusa was a city in what is
now Croatia. In 1358, Ragusa gained independence from Venice and soon controlled
all the trade with Hungary, Bosnia and Serbia. Unlike their Italian neighbors, Ragusa
had a good relationship with the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. This
relationship helped protect Ragusa through the centuries. Ragusa’s control on
the trade in this area ended with the Portuguese finding sea routes to India
and her neighbors warring with the Turks. Her power was waning. It finally came
to an end in 1806 when Ragusa surrender to Napoleon’s French Empire. Ragusa was
added to Napoleon’s Italian kingdom. Sadly, that ends the story that is the Republic
of Ragusa. I have included a map of where Ragusa and its territories were
located in Croatia today.
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