ABSTRACT
The chapter examines how the town authorities handled the organisation of annual fairs and how the urban space was managed, valorised, and exploited. Factors influencing the specialisation of the fairs are also analysed, specifically the economic potential derived from an advantageous location along trade routes, depending on the available space, the natural conditions, and the state and degree of modernisation of the trade infrastructure. This chapter presents a case study of three selected towns in Greater Poland, Poznań, Gniezno, and Kalisz, in order to inspect elements of the trade infrastructure within them. The data provided allows us to develop important hypotheses about the interactions between the town infrastructure and trade, especially long-distance trade. First, the lack of appropriate infrastructure appears to render the development of commercial activities within an urban centre extremely challenging. However, in exceptional situations when other factors are extremely favourable, even a town with little infrastructure can develop a fair of international significance. Second, adequate space in itself does not seem to be sufficient for successful fairs. Third, in Greater Poland, the development of the trade infrastructure can be clearly observed, mostly in large towns between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. This development coincides in time with the towns’ inclusion in the network of European trade routes. Fourth, the use of infrastructure usually depends on the intensity of commerce and the amount of space available in a town.
