Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface -- Acknowledgments -- List of Maps, Charts, and Tables -- Introduction 1 -- 1. The Mediterranean Arena of the Medieval European Entrepreneur 17 -- 2. The Local Market Environment in Montpellier 47 -- 3. Members of the Trade Infrastructure 79 -- 4. Personnel of the Mercantile Entourage: Kinship, Partnership, Representation 103 -- 5. The Discovery Phase: Making Connections and Arranging the Deal 143 -- 6. Closing and Execution of the Deal 183 -- Conclusions 219 -- Bibliography 227 -- Index 243.

Medieval commercial transactions did not occur spontaneously. They were crafted by merchants with the support of numerous personnel on the medieval marketplace: notaries, innkeepers, brokers, transporters, and subordinate personnel of the merchant's entourage. This study introduces the reader to the challenges of trade in the Mediterranean world and to specific market conditions in the Mediterranean French town of Montpellier. A case study of the business of the Cabanis merchants permits an in-depth examination of the facilitation of trade by intermediaries whose activities are traced in the discovery phase of arranging a deal and in its closing and execution. Medieval business practice involved multiple layers of personnel. The complexities of medieval trade are revealed in the new emphasis given to those who assisted merchants in their commercial endeavors.

Description based on print version record.