The Sea and its Impact on a Maritime Community: Vila do Conde, Portugal, 1500–1640

Abstract

This essay is a case study of a small Portuguese maritime town involved in overseas shipping and trade in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. 1 It utilizes a wide range of sources, including notarial deeds, parish records, town council minutes, tax registers, Inquisition proceedings, legislative files and a number of documents dealing with shipping and trade between 1500 and 1640. I argue that Vila do Conde, as well as a number of other maritime communities, developed in particular ways due to Portuguese overseas expansion. Moreover, this historic process had dramatic effects on the town's economic, social and demographic profiles. 'Amelia Pol6nia, "Vila do Conde. Urn porto nortenho na expansao ultramarina quinhentista" (Unpublished PhD thesis, 2 vols., University of Porto, 1999); this will be published as A Expansiio Ultramarina numa perspectiva local. 0 porto de Vila do Conde no seculo XVI (2 vols., Lisboa, 2006, forthcoming). See also Pol6nia, "Reformulation de strategies economiques en temps de guerre. L'etude d'un cas. Portugal, XVI-XVIIe siecles," in Guerre et Economie dans le Monde Atlantique du XVIe au XXe. Siecle. Strategie en Echec, Logiques d'Adapatation (Bordeaux, forthcoming); and Polonia, "L'insertion dans I'axe maritime comme facteur structurant d'une communaute urbaine. L'etude d'un cas. Portugal, XVle Siecle," in Presence et Representations du Monde Atlantique dans les Villes d'Europe Occidentale du Moyen Age au XXe steele (Rennes, forthcoming).

Analysing the Trade Between Turkey and the Aegean Islands: The Hidden Opportunities

“…Maritime transport has historically been a major triggering effect on the development of trade and exchange of different cultures. For instance, Polónia (2016) investigated the maritime expansion of Villa de Conde, a Portuguese maritime town, between the years of 1500 and 1640. Polónia (2016) found that the expansion of town through maritime activities had significant effects on political, economic, social, and demographic development of the town.…”

“…For instance, Polónia (2016) investigated the maritime expansion of Villa de Conde, a Portuguese maritime town, between the years of 1500 and 1640. Polónia (2016) found that the expansion of town through maritime activities had significant effects on political, economic, social, and demographic development of the town. The current literature also well explains how shipping positively influences the trade and economic development of regions (Clark et al, 2004;Radelet and Sachs, 1998).…”