Through the Water and the Storm: Maritime Averages and Seaborne Trade in Early Modern Genoa, 1590-1700

The maritime legal framework, of General Average (GA), remains an enigmatic and overlooked process within the history of seaborne trade. An ancient rule that predates Roman Law, it continues to be operational today, in a largely unchanged state, mandating the redistribution of unexpected costs that arise during a maritime expedition amongst shipowners and merchants. In this detailed examination of Average procedures within the Italian maritime republic of, Genoa, between the years 1590 and 1700, Through the Water and the Storm demonstrates how this rich data can be used to examine the dynamics of Mediterranean seaborne trade. Drawing on quantitative, socio-economic and legal methodologies, this book highlights how Average procedures reshape our understanding of connectivity and interdependence.

Antonio Iodice is a Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Roma Tre. A former postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Genoa, as well as an honorary Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Exeter, his research considers early modern European maritime risk management, trade, and mobility, with a specific focus on the Republic of Genoa and the Tyrrhenian region. His recent publications include: ’The ＂Palladium of Prosperity＂ Lobbying Between Marseilles and Paris from the Revolution to the Restoration (1789-1817)’, Business History, and a chapter entitled, ’General Average in Genoa: between rules and customs’ in Sharing Risk: General Average and European Maritime Business (VI-XVIII Centuries), (ed. Addobbati, A., M. Fusaro, L. Piccinno, Palgrave Macmillan 2023).