Corporaciones y tribunales mercantiles entre Toscana y Cataluña en torno al siglo XIV

During the late Middle Ages, the development of mercantile institutions, as well as the prominent social and political action of the merchants settled in the major urban trading centers, were common features of both Italian and Catalan-Aragonese areas. Mercantile courts were characterized by sharp technical abilities and strong involvements in political powers; because of this, they had problematic relationships with other decision-making centers and ordinary courts. The aim of this paper is to focus on the essential features and the historical development of such institutions, by exploring the case-study of Tuscan and Catalan cities in a comparative approach. Starting from the analysis of the birth and growth of the urban and mercantile institutions in these two observatories, and focusing on the different influences of Roman law and royal powers, this paper suggests an interpretative key to point out the peculiarities of such contexts.