Catalan maritime expansion in the western Mediterranean (12^th–15^th centuries)

Summary

ABSTRACT. The author first analyzes the stages of Catalan expansion that started in the 11^th century with the commercialization of agricultural surplus and developed with the annexation of Majorca and Valencia. She then describes the various western Mediterranean markets where the Catalan merchants were active and demonstrates the total absence of trade recession at the end of the Middle Ages.

RÉSUMÉ. L'auteur analyse d'abord les étapes de l'expansion catalane qui a son origine au XI^e siècle dans la commercialisation des surplus agricoles, et se développe avec l'annexion de Majorque et de Valence. Elle décrit ensuite les différents marchés de Méditerranée occidentale où les marchands catalans sont actifs, et démontre l'absence de toute récession du commerce à la fin du Moyen Âge.

It is a small and beautiful town on the sea coast where traders came with their goods from everywhere: from Greece, Pisa, Alexandria in Egypt, the land of Israel, Africa and all its confines.

A beautiful small town: that is how the Jew Benjamín de Tudela perceived the city of Barcelona on a trip starting at Tudela, his birth place, taking him all across the Mediterranean to the East. It was in 1166 and although Barcelona was a secondary centre, according to Tudela, it was much frequented by Mediterranean traders. He wouldn't have recognised it a hundred years later when Barcelona had turned into a major trading market place, from where most of the surplus in agricultural and manufactured production was distributed within the Catalan territory. It was also the entry point for large quantities of both luxury items and basic products imported by the Crown of Aragon. It had succeeded in increasing its commercial activity spaces considerably and creating a complex exchange system in which big international centres of commerce would participate, such as Mallorca and Valencia as well as other smaller towns that relied on artisan activity and which were brought together by an efficient internal commerce network. Such is the basis for the Catalan expansion in the early Middle Ages.