Genova come polo di beni e manufatti artistici: Fonti e percorsi di ricerca (secoli XVI-XVII)

Abstract

Between the medieval and the early modern period, the port of Genoa was at the centre of a network of international trade. Its articulated organisation was functional to the prosperity and survival of the republic, which imported raw materials for its manufacturing and foodstuffs to feed its population. At the edge of this trade network there was an élite of businessmen involved in many economic and financial activities, as well as in the government of the republic itself. From the sixteenth century onwards, the involvement of the Genoese patriciate in the European financial businesses led to an increasing inflow of capital to Genoa, a substantial part of which was employed in the construction of prestigious buildings and in the purchase and commissioning of art objects and other artistic/luxury goods. The trade generated by the production and sale of these goods has left clear evidences, both in terms of imports of raw materials and circulation of finished products, which can be found in a wide variety of sources described in this paper. We provide also a critical analysis of them and we suggest to scholars new research lines to be developed.