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Byzantine–Venetian Trade Treaty (1179)
In 1179, Emperor Manuel I concluded a new trade treaty with Venice, partially repairing relations badly damaged since the 1171 arrest and confiscatio…
Timeline
- 1171–1178Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireIn 1171 Manuel ordered the mass arrest of Venetian expatriates and confiscation of their property; Venice launched retaliatory military action, and relations remained tense for years with trade nearly halted.
- 1179Constantinople · Byzantine EmpireManuel dispatched envoys to negotiate with the Venetian delegation; the two sides reached compromises on trade privileges, use of trading stations, tariff rates, and judicial treatment of expatriates, partially restoring Venetian merchants' trading rights in imperial ports.
- 1179–1180Mediterranean trade routes · Eastern MediterraneanAfter the treaty was signed, Venetian merchant ships gradually resumed trading in Byzantine ports, but mutual trust remained fragile. After Manuel's death in 1180, the new government failed to maintain stable relations, and Venetian discontent continued to build.
Sources
- Venice and Byzantium: 1204 and the Byzantine Heritage — D. E. Queller (1998)
- Manuel I Komnenos — Paul Magdalino (1993)