=112. Inland cities; Florence.=—Besides the two great seaports of Venice and Genoa other cities of northern Italy grew rich by industry and commerce at this period, notably Milan. The chief commercial city in the interior, however, was Florence in central Italy. Though Florence had no seaport of its own until after 1400, when it overpowered Pisa and Leghorn, it carried on an extensive commerce in its chief product, wool and silk textiles. Great trading houses bought up the raw material through agents settled in markets like Bruges, or traveling for years at a time, and sold the finished product through a similar network of agencies. The amount of manufacturing and commerce in the city stimulated the development of banking institutions, and Florentine bankers gained not only a regal position at home, but also a commanding voice in international politics. =113. Other Mediterranean cities; Marseilles, Barcelona.=—On the Mediterranean coast of France the only great port at this period was Marseilles, which had developed rapidly in the course of the crusades. It exported to Italy and the East French textiles (woolen and linen), wood, metals, wine, oil, soap, etc. In Spain the Arabs had developed the arts of civilization to a point which was far above that of the contemporary Christian states. Toward the close of the Middle Ages, however, the contest between them and the Christian kings for the supremacy of the peninsula absorbed the best energies of both parties, and caused an actual decline in material civilization. One city, however, Barcelona, carried on a very extensive commerce, and was one of the most important ports of the Mediterranean. Its inhabitants enjoyed unusual freedom under the kings of Aragon and were reputed to be among the best sailors of their time; they had trading stations along the coast of the Mediterranean as far as Egypt and Syria, and as merchants or pirates frequented the Grecian archipelago. QUESTIONS AND TOPICS 1. Study: (_a_) the position of Venice in the Mediterranean; (_b_) the peculiarities of the site of the city; and write a report on the influence of these factors on the history of Venice in its different periods. [Encyclopedia.] 2. Compare the policy pursued by Venice toward Amalfi in Constantinople to the early policy of the Standard Oil Company. [See the account of railroad rebates in accounts of the Standard Oil Company by Lloyd or Tarbell.] 3. Compare the Venetian and the Athenian sea-empires in respect to (_a_) extent, (_b_) duration, (_c_) policy. [See chapter 2, and for further information on Venetian history see Brown.] 4. Make a map showing Venetian trade relations in the fifteenth century. [Falkner, Statistical Documents, V.] 5. Summarize the account of commercial transactions at that period. [Same.] 6. Write a report on the contributions of the Italians to book-keeping. [Cf. Beckmann, Hist. of inventions, Bohn’s Library, vol. 1, pp. 1-5.]