The author analyzes the economic changes which occurred in Europe between the fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of modern European states about 1450 A.D. In particular he deals with such problems of historical analysis as the Pirenne thesis and its later revisions; the economy of Europe during the so-called Dark Ages; the effects of the Crusades upon commerce and trade; and the return to gold coinage for use in trade. This clear, balanced account, which combines an original narrative and readings from 45 sources, gives an exceptionally vivid picture of medieval history and commerce.

A distinctive history of the traditions of reading and life in the Renaissance library, as seen in the texts of Renaissance intellectuals

Roman and barbarian precedents The growth of self-centered agriculture The take-off of the commerical revolution The uneven diffusion of commercialization Between crafts and industry The response of the agricultural society.

From the 12th century onwards merchants from the north Italian and southern French towns were able to take advantage of Christian conquests in southern Italy, Sicily and the Levant to penetrate and dominate the markets of these regions and of North Africa. The articles collected in this volume examine the economic, social and religious impact of this combination of trade and conquest . They include studies of the survival of Jews and Muslims in Sicily, of the debate about the 'under-development' of medieval southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia, of relations between the rulers of those regions and the merchants, and of mercantile penetration into the kingdom of Jerusalem, Cyprus and Tunis in the wake of Crusaders and Sicilian kings. A partir du 12e siècle, les marchands venant des villes du Nord de l’Italie et du Sud de la France étaient devenus à même de tirer avantage des conquêtes chrétiennes en Italie du Sud, en Sicile et dans le Levant et de pénétrer, ainsi que de dominer les marchés de ces différentes régions et de l’Afrique du Nord. Les articles rassemblés dans ce volume examinent l’impact économique, social et religieux de cette association entre la conquête et le commerce. Le recueil comprend des études sur la survie des Juifs et des Musulmans en Sicile, sur le débat à propos du ’sous-développement’ de l’Italie méridionale, de la Sicile et de la Sardaigne au Moyen Age, sur les rapports entre les dirigeants de ces régions et les marchands, ainsi que sur la pénétration mercantile du royaume de Jérusalem, de Chypre et de Tunis, dans le sillon des Croisés et des rois de Sicile.