L'economia nei mari di Taranto nell'età moderna

In the modern age, the port of Taranto played a role in the trade of wine, oil and wool. There were no local shipowners, but everything depended on Neapolitan agents. For a certain period, there were also agents from Venice, Genoa and from the Dalmatian city of Ragusa. Since the times of the Byzantine dominion, the sea of Taranto was characterized by being divided into private areas called "peschiere" ("fish ponds"), delimited by poles. It was a liquid plain divided between the prince of Taranto, the priests of the cathedral, the bishop, the religious orders and even some private individuals. Generally, these "peschiere" were rented. In the early nineteenth century the port of Taranto had a greater commercial development, while the "peschiere" were abolished after 1860.