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The Crusades, the Genoese and the Latin East - DSpace at ...

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<strong>the</strong>y were promised part of <strong>the</strong> payment in grain. 84 Presumably, with some luck <strong>and</strong> access to <strong>the</strong><br />

black market <strong>the</strong>y could have made larger profit 8S Interestingly, <strong>the</strong> Itinerarium mentioned in <strong>the</strong><br />

context of <strong>the</strong> famine a case of one Pisan merchant who stored grain to sell in <strong>the</strong> future. He was<br />

punished by God when his house, loaded with whe<strong>at</strong>, caught fire: `domum illius Pisani, tritico<br />

refertam, igne subito vehementer succendi. '86<br />

Commerce in o<strong>the</strong>r commodities was not completely withheld during this period: <strong>the</strong>re<br />

was still dem<strong>and</strong> for o<strong>the</strong>r items in 1191 to be transported through <strong>the</strong> port of Genoa to <strong>the</strong> <strong>L<strong>at</strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>East</strong> <strong>and</strong> to be delivered back in Genoa. Fabrics <strong>and</strong> clo<strong>the</strong>s are <strong>the</strong> obvious examples. Baldinelli,<br />

clo<strong>the</strong>s, were shipped to <strong>the</strong> <strong>L<strong>at</strong>in</strong> <strong>East</strong> in <strong>the</strong> autumn of 1191,87 <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r merchants were<br />

instructed to buy in <strong>the</strong> <strong>L<strong>at</strong>in</strong> <strong>East</strong> <strong>the</strong> famous cotton-linen fabric fustian, which owes its name to<br />

Fust<strong>at</strong>, today's Old Cairo 88 <strong>The</strong> l<strong>at</strong>ter evidence suggests th<strong>at</strong> not all supplies were necessarily war<br />

supplies. It is also interesting to find some merchants who were instructed to travel to o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

destin<strong>at</strong>ions, Constantinople for example, but were given instructions in case <strong>the</strong> ships call <strong>at</strong><br />

Sicily or Ultramare. Baldovino Scoto was one such merchant, who on 25 September 1191<br />

received a sea-loan of £19 2s Od <strong>and</strong> promised to pay `perperos 3 mundos minus quartam per<br />

libram ad Constantinopolim. Et si in Sicilia fecerint portum, pro sol. 42, unciam 1 auri. Et si in<br />

Ultramare, bis 3 per libram mundos sarracenales, salva eunte nave... 89 This l<strong>at</strong>ter example<br />

implies th<strong>at</strong> not all merchants had <strong>the</strong> aid of <strong>the</strong> crusade as a principal motiv<strong>at</strong>ion for action,<br />

indeed, some had carried on with <strong>the</strong>ir commercial ventures driven by personal <strong>and</strong> economic<br />

interests.<br />

Genoa as a crossroads:<br />

Wh<strong>at</strong> impression did <strong>the</strong> Third Crusade leave on Genoa <strong>and</strong> its inhabitants? So far this chapter<br />

concentr<strong>at</strong>ed on <strong>the</strong> travelling people of Genoa, <strong>the</strong> crusaders, shipowners <strong>and</strong> merchants. Wh<strong>at</strong><br />

role did <strong>the</strong> residents of Genoa play in <strong>the</strong> prepar<strong>at</strong>ions for <strong>the</strong> crusade, <strong>and</strong> how did <strong>the</strong> crusade<br />

affect <strong>the</strong>ir lives? <strong>The</strong> prepar<strong>at</strong>ions for <strong>the</strong> Third Crusade in Genoa are evident in many o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

notarial documents. Looking <strong>at</strong> <strong>the</strong> war from <strong>the</strong> focal point of Genoa as a city, <strong>the</strong> Third Crusade<br />

had <strong>the</strong> potential to promote economic prosperity for <strong>the</strong> commune <strong>and</strong> for individual <strong>Genoese</strong>.<br />

84 OS, 1190, no. 17, from 16 January 1190<br />

85 See for example a contract between Berardo Ricio <strong>and</strong> his sailors: OS, 1190, no. 17, from 16 January<br />

1190. This ship sailed to Gaeta <strong>and</strong> Sardinia before its main destin<strong>at</strong>ion - <strong>the</strong> <strong>L<strong>at</strong>in</strong> <strong>East</strong>.<br />

861tinerarium, ch. 80, p. 137.<br />

87 GC, 1013 from 16 September 1191; Baldinelli were eastern clo<strong>the</strong>s or a western imit<strong>at</strong>ion. See Abulafia,<br />

<strong>The</strong> Two Italies, p. 234.<br />

88 GC, 1105; on <strong>the</strong> fustian see David Abulafia, `<strong>The</strong> Role of Trade in Muslim-Christian Contact during <strong>the</strong><br />

Middle Ages', p. 1.<br />

89 GC, 1191, no. 1134, d<strong>at</strong>ed 25 September 1191.<br />

38

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