ABSTRACT
In our investigations of the past, we sometimes encounter rather puzzling maritime success stories. For medieval Europe, a case in point is Amalfi, situated on the southern flank of the mountainous peninsula which constitutes the Bay of Naples’ lower arm. General histories of medieval Europe typically cite Amalfi, along with Venice, as exceptional in the early Middle Ages for conducting trans-Mediterranean trading ventures. In the ninth and tenth centuries, when Mediterranean commerce otherwise was notably diminished in volume and range, Amalfitan ships and merchants can be documented not only at Taranto and the Lipari Islands, but also in North Africa and Egypt, and at Constantinople. Obviously we must classify Amalfi as a port town of some real significance in its day.
