All’ombra del Vesuvio: produzione e commercio del vino greco nel tardo Medioevo

In Southern Italy and the islands, land and sea always maintained a close relationship and remained inseparable Great feudal lords commanded fleets as admirals, led maritime expeditions and naval battles, did not disdain piracy, built ships and controlled grain exports through the so called caricatori. The network of small landing places located along the coast allowed the feudal lords, lay and ecclesiastical, to overcome the obstacles created by inadequate roads, transporting agricultural products via coastal navigation to sell them on the local market. Instead, goods destined for trade in the Mediterranean Sea departed from the larger ports, which could accommodate large vessels. In addition to wheat, they included Greek wine from the Vesuvian area and Sicilian tuna, renowned and internationally renowned products. The economy of the South, although essentially based on agricultural and pastoral products, did not only depend on the land, but also on the sea.