The republic of Raguse
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Reference
on Raguse
Foundation of Raguse :
According to the tradition, the town of Raguse was founded at the beginning
of the VII century during the Slavic invasion on the Adriatic coast of
the balkans. That Ci was built on rocks by the Latin population of Roman
origin to take refuge there. It also seems that an agglomeration was formed
close to Raguse gathering the Slavic populations which called it Dubrava
This name Slavic pointed out the large forest which led to the origin on
the spot. There one finds the origin of the name of the Dubrovnik city,
in opposition to the Latin name of Raguse coming from the populations of
Roman stock.
Raguse under domination byzantine :
The city at its beginnings always had strong relations with Byzance,
the latter always seeking to keep its influence and its authority on the
city. That the geographical position of Raguse made of it a stage obliged
between the empire byzantin and Europe, in particular Italy should be said.
Venice, maritime power par excellence, included/understood importance to
have ports on the Eastern coast of the Adriatic. Thus, about the year 1000,
Venice occupies Dalmatie and tries to take the control of Raguse. But the
city returns quickly under the cut of Byzance. Following the attenuation
of the Byzantine Empire as of the XI century, Raguse is led to acquire
its political independence little by little (appearance of a nobility of
Roman stock) and to develop. It is thus of this time that date the first
notable increase in the Slavic population of Raguse attracted by the commercial
activity of this one. The XII century was one period agitated for the city
which had to be defended of the attacks of the kingdoms bosniaque and Serb
seeking to take control of it. But it is finally the fleet of Venice which
left to fight Byzance which removed the city in 1171. This occupation was
short but shows a feature from time immemorial suitable for Raguse: the
city could not only be defended and was to always seek the protection of
a power (Byzance, the king of Sicily, the Norman ones, Venice, Hungarian...
according to the times). These events did not prevent the development economic
of the town of continue. Many maritime
treaties were concluded with Italian cities: let us note particularly
that with the town of Termoli (see card
of Molise ) in 1203 which is the port of the area of Molise. Nevertheless
Raguse could not compete with the sérénissime republic and
its formidable maritime power. For this reason, it did not base its commercial
power only on the maritime trade. It exploited its strategic position indeed
to be established like an essential stage in the trade with the interior
of the balkans (treated with Bosnia and Serbia neighbors). The catch of
Constantinople at the time of the fourth crusade (1204) was going to affect
Raguse by by-effect because it was its guard of the beginnings who disappeared.
The consequence was obvious for Raguse, which had to recognize the domination
of Venice since 1205.
Takeover of Venice :
The domination of Venice will last until 1358 but will allow him to
enter a new era of its economic development. Raguse will preserve a certain
autonomy but always within the limit of the rules dictated by Venice. These
rules restricted mainly the maritime trade of Raguse to the profit of that
of Venice. The consequence was that Raguse turned its activity towards
the interior of Balkans. It benefitted then from the development of the
mines of Serbia and Bosnia, and of the businessmen ragusains are reflected
to trade with Balkans. The consequence of the new XIII century economic
growth was that the Latin core and the Slavic surroundings of the city
(Dubrava) amalgamated in only one city.
The golden age of Raguse :
In 1358, Venice lost the possession of Raguse and Dalmatie following
a war with Hungary. Raguse recognized Hungarian sovereignty but succeeds
in keeping and even developing its independence and its autonomy with this
occasion. Released of the commercial restrictions of Venice, independent
in its political choices, the maritime trade set out again on new bases.
Fortunately because the political situation in the balkans started to be
degraded since the death of the Serb emperor Etienne Dusan. Moreover, another
danger to the trade of Raguse was profiled with the input in Europe of
the ottomans since 1354. In 1409, Venice succeeds in buying to king de
Naples rights in Dalmatie. Venice then sought to take the control of the
market of the town of Drijeva located close to the mouth of the
Neretva river at approximately 100 km at the North of Raguse. This
area is very interesting because it corresponds about to the surface of
origin of the Slavic migrants of Molise. The history teaches us that Raguse
regarded this significant commercial place as being strategic for its trade
with Bosnia. It was indeed directly on the road of Bosnia (see following
paragraph). Raguse defended its position with respect to king de Bosnie
and succeeds in keeping its influence with Drijeva. This monopoly will
be still disputed by Venice in 1417 about the export of the salt which
passe Disorders and disorders : the annexation Ottoman
of Bosnia-Herzégovine
The situation was degraded in Balkans. Thus the voïvoide bosniaque
Sandalj did not hesitate to call upon Turkish to impose his capacity (1423).
Since 1430, the ottomans advanced in Bosnia and Albania. Between 1439
and 1444, all Serbia was occupied by the ottomans before finding for a
time a certain independence until 1459. That disorganized the trade that
Raguse maintained with Serbia (falls of the mining city Serb Novo Brdo
in 1441) and put in escape of many merchants ragusains. The situation was
so serious that Raguse decided exceptional tax measurements to help its
merchants in financial difficulties (see file
of Raguse of August 6, 1454 ). Finally, after long negotiations with
the ottomans, a treaty signed in 1442 authorized the ragusains to be traded
freely in the Balkan areas occupied under cover of the payment of taxes
and other privileges.
Between 1451 and 1454, a war opposed Raguse and the large-duke Stephan
Vukcic-Kosaca. This last, vassal of the ottomans, was very ambitious and
even wished to conquer Raguse on behalf of the sultan. It was originating
in a great family of the feudal nobility of Bosnia-Herzégovine and
was converts with Islam at the time of the conquest Ottoman. He will become
even the large vizier Ahmed pasha Hercegzade. Conversion with Islam was
the essential condition to exert responsibilities in the empire ottoman.
Thus conversions took place simply to preserve its privileges or like means
of ensuring its own ambitions... The conquest of Raguse finally did not
take place because the ottomans considered that there was to more gain
(financially by the taxes) to leave a certain "independence" to the city
of Raguse.
The book of B.Krekic
(
Dubrovnik... 1300-1600 ) announces that the conquests lançées
by the ottomans in years 1450-1460 resulted in shifts in population fleeing
the war. These populations moved in direction of the republic of Raguse
in such number that that Ci had by decree (1454) to make the decision to
control the access of them. In Mars 1460, the disorders caused by these
shifts in population encouraged Raguse to prohibit the transport of people
apart from the territory of the republic by sea. But the pressure was such
as it ends up authorizing and even organizing transport of refugees by
boats in direction of Italy (Venice, Steps...) in 1464, then in 1465 and
still after... This book quotes also a reference which should be interessante:
The migrazione degli Slavi nell' Italia meridionale E in Sicilia went
fine del Medievo "Archivio Storico Italiano, flight 2, 1980,7-9".
In 1459, Serbia was completely occupied following the fall of its capital
Smederevo and the pressure was accentuated on Raguse.
In 1463, Bosnia was it also subjected. The ottomans were turned over
then against Herzégovine which they occupied almost entirely in
1465.
Even Venice and the Hungarians entered in conflict in 1465 in Herzégovine
for the control of the mouth of Neretva . This area was strategic
upstream with the commercial place of Drijeva located close to the
mouth, controlled by the strengthened city of Pocitelj of the Neretva
river. Raguse supported Hungarian who moved into the fort of Pocitelj against
Venice, his enemy of always. But the republic of Venice benefitted from
it to control the littoral of Makarska and the area around the town of
Imotski. The disorganization of the Christian camp was thus total
and the sultan Mehmed II benefitted from it to extend his conquests in
Asia minor (1468). Let us announce that in spite of the agreements signed
with the poured ottomans and tributes, of the attacks repeated of valaques
of Herzégovine ("ottomanized "population) were held regularly against
the territory of Raguse (1469).
All the cities or fortified towns of the back country of Raguse or
Neretva fell to the hands from the ottomans starting from the 1465 (Uskopje,
Trebinje...) city strengthened from Pocitelj fell finally in 1471,
opening the market of Drijeva on Neretva and allowing the road check
towards Bosnia. Consequently, but it was for a long time the case, the
trade of Raguse was found depend on the goodwill of the ottomans.
The conquest of Herzégovine was completed in 1482 by the catch
of the town of Novi (entered of the mouths of Kotor) with depend on the
large-duke Vlatko, one of the wire heirs to Vukcic-Kosaca.
The complete establishment of the administration Ottoman thus became
effective in the years 1470-1480 in the annexed territories (Bosnia, Herzégovine)
and Raguse was found with a common border with the empire ottoman.
A new war started in 1499 between the empire ottoman and the republic
of Venice, bearing on the trade from Neretva to the mouths of Kotor. Venice
had already sought in 1496 to in vain control the market of the salt of
Neretva. For all this period, the trade of Raguse knew strong losses, more
especially as Venice did not hesitate with destruire the saltworks of Neretva
at the time of its military operations or to intercept the trading vessels
of Raguse. The agreements of peace were finally signed in 1503 putting
a term at instabilities reigning since several decades in the area.
The year 1503 marks the beginning of a new time for Raguse and its trade
which was to reach a development without precedent during the XVI century.
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