In this contribution, presented at the Accademia Belgica in Rome in 1967, Federigo Melis tackled a topic that was much discussed in those years, namely the role of Bruges as a national and international marketplace between the 14th and 15th centuries. He presented the Flemish city as a nexus, a link between Northern European and Mediterranean trade, between Romanic and Germanic peoples. From research based on the rich Tuscan archival documentation, Bruges appears to be a meeting point of multiple interests, welcoming merchants of all origins and prepared to play a role in the collection and redistribution of a large number of goods. This role derived mainly from the decline of the Champagne fairs and the opening of regular shipping lines passing through the Strait of Gibraltar. |