From the 11th to the 13th century, a balance of strongholds The great Italian republics played an important role in the spice trade. Venice, Genoa, Amalfi, Pisa and even Florence became rivals, so important was the trade. France and the people of Marseille mastered the west coasts of Africa and Europe as far as Norway, and increasingly strengthened their position towards the East: trade flourished. Trade relations with the Levant were naturally affected by...Continue Reading