[EN] This research analyses the commercial relationships between Basque
and the Mediterranean ports from the beginning of the
eighteenth century until the first third of the nineteenth century,
when the customs were moved to the coast. Although part of a
wider international network, these connections must be considered
a strategic relationship to both parties. The research delves into the
lives, the evolution and the strategies put into practice by Mediterranean
merchants who settled in Basque ports and Basque merchants
who, without moving to other ports, strengthened their
commercial ties, thanks to a combination of kinship, ethnicity and
marriage between traders’ families. Epistolary correspondence of
some traders not only brings to light daily details and methods implemented
by merchants in order to succeed, but also allows us to
measure or at least get an approximate idea of the uncertainty, insecurity
and dangers they faced during their commercial activity.This study is part of the Basque University System’s Research Group “The Basque Country and America: Atlantic links and relationships” (OTRI EMU: GIC12/36; ref. Basque Government IT822/13)
