The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish ConquestVillari, Luigi
History
The Republic of Ragusa: An Episode of the Turkish Conquest
Villari, Luigi
Dubrovnik (Croatia) -- History
“To the city of Ragusa, situated on a hard rock, on the coast of
the sea and therefore exposed to its ire, and in a most sterile
land, wholly devoted to the Church of Rome and ever obedient to her,
constantly faithful to the King of Hungary ... is granted permission
to navigate with its ships even unto the Holy Land and to the ports
of the Infidel, for the purpose of conveying pilgrims thither, and
of trading; to maintain consuls, erect churches, and establish
cemeteries in those countries.” That Ragusan trade extended as far as
England is proved by the letter of Barbarigo, the Venetian ambassador
to the Porte, who in 1513 passed through the city on his way to
Constantinople. He wrote that in the harbour was a ship which “had
come from England laden with 9000 pieces of cloth worth 85,000 ducats,
besides tin and various kinds of stuff valued at 13,000 ducats, all
belonging to Ragusans; and to-day, the third day, another ship of 5000
_botti_ has departed laden with silks and _Zambeloti_ worth 100,000
ducats, besides 12,000 ducats’ worth of _gropi_, all belonging to
Ragusans and Florentines.” He adds that the wealth of Ragusa was very
great and incredible.[436] In 1526 Clement VII. addressed a Brief to
the Chancellor and Councillors of the Duchy of Brittany, who had seized
a Ragusan ship coming from England laden with English goods, believing
it to be English property.[437] Part of the cargo was recovered,
but the loss amounted to 70,000 ducats, which caused a number of
bankruptcies at Ragusa.[438]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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