The Hinterland of Long-distance Trade. Regional Integration and Functional Development in North-Eastern Italy (1250-1450)

A quite established mainstream narrative in economic history has focused on long-distance trade and its main logistical, financial and exchange hubs. Furthermore, from a theoret-ical standpoint, the institutionalist approach to economic history emphasized the importance of the reduction of transaction costs as a pre-condition for economic develop-ment. Late-medieval Friuli, a region strategically situated between Venice and the German-speaking lands, proves to be a fruitful case study to test such assumptions. With this contribution I will try to demonstrate that transaction costs (especially customs and regional/state fiscality), rather than eliminated, could also be avoided, and exploited and might have even been a stimulus to economic integration on an interregional level.