5.
Before 1100, Genoa emerged
as an independent city-state, one of several Italian
city-states established during this period. Nominally, the Holy Roman
Emperor was sovereign, and the Bishop of Genoa was head of
state; however, actual power was wielded by several consuls annually
elected by popular assembly.
It was not Direct
democracy or pure democracy is a form of democracy in
which the electorate directly decides on policy initiatives,
without elected representatives as proxies, as opposed to
the representative democracy model, which occurs in many established
democracies.
Genoa was to be known as a
trade, shipbuilding, and banking state. It helped support one of the largest
and most powerful navies in the Mediterranean. There is an old saying that
says, Genuensis ergo mercator, or "A Genoese therefore a merchant,"
but the Genoese were skilled sailors and ferocious warriors in addition.
However, this period of
prosperity did not last. The Black Death is said to have been
imported into Europe in 1347 from the Genoese trading post
at Caffa in Crimea on the Black Sea. Following the economic and
population collapse that resulted, Genoa adopted the Venetian model of
government and was presided over by the Doge of Genoa. The wars with
Venice continued, and the War of Chioggia (1378–1381)—during which
Genoa almost managed to decisively subdue Venice—ended with Venice's recovery
of dominance in the Adriatic. In 1390, Genoa initiated the Barbary
Crusade, with help from the French, and laid siege to Mahdia, the Fatimid
capital of Ifriqiya.
In the 15th century, two of
the earliest banks in the world were founded in Genoa: the Bank of Saint
George, founded in 1407, which was the oldest chartered bank in the world at
its closure in 1805, and the Banca Carige, founded in 1483 as a mount
of piety, which still exists.
The history of
banking began with the merchants of the world, who gave
grain loans to farmers and traders who carried goods between cities.
Over the years, lenders based in temples gave loans while
accepting deposits and performing the exchange of money. The
historical roots of the modern banking system trace back to medieval and
Renaissance Italy, particularly the affluent cities of Florence and
Venice. The loans are known to have been provided at some time at an annual
interest of 12%. Banks sometimes made loans available confidentially, which means,
they provided funds without being publicly and openly known to have done so. In
addition, they kept depositors' names confidential as well. This
intermediation , per se, was known as dia tes trapazēs, translated
from Latin as "God will trap you."
“The sins of blasphemy
equate to those who do not return the loans.” The moneylender looked to the
trader who had defaulted on the repayment. They had met at the moneylender’s
shop.
“Please, dear sir. Give me
some days to find my wares. The storm delays the ship. I promised you that I
would deliver my dues at double the interest of your entitlement. Have mercy on
me. Christian mercy we shall all share.
“Christian mercy? If I am to
shed a tear for every Christian who defaults in their payments, I could have
flooded Genoa to be the next Venice.” The moneylender glared at the trader. “I
hold the world but as the world, Gratiano; a stage where every man must play a
part, and mine is a sad one.” (Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare).
“Christian charity, Sir.”
The trader pleaded.
“I am a Jew: Hath not a Jew
eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?
fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same
diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and
summer, as a Christian is?” (Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare).
“Perhaps I am not like any.
I am or was your better friend previously.” The moneylender looked to the
skies, as if Heaven would open its arms towards him. “I will hold onto your
Christian charity then. Give me double my fees in a week, or I shall forfeit
your wares.”
“Oh God!” The trader was at
a loss for words. A hand was placed on his left shoulder.
“Stand, Antonio Meli. I, Lord
Gencio Capulet, will loan you the ducats to pay this … fiendish lender.” The
trader turned to look at the man who spoke. “Tell me of your loan.”
“I borrowed three hundred
ducats, and with the interest at twelve …” The trader was cut off by the
moneylender.
“Fifteen, for he had
defaulted by …”
“Here, take the ducats. It
will add to the amount, and with some extra for your blasphemy on our faith.” Lord
Gencio Capulet tossed the bag of coins to the moneylender. He pulled the trader
to his feet.
“The merchants helped each
other; if not, we would fall into the pits of their Hell.” Lord Gencio Capulet
looked at the lad standing by the moneylender.
“Your name, lad?” Lord
Gencio Capulet asked.
“Shylock, Matthew Shylock
Jud……”
“Are you any relation to
him? His son by blood?” Lord Gencio Capulet asked.
“I am his ...son,” Shylock
replied.
“Get a new trade. If you
follow your father, then Hell will invite you in with glee.” Lord Gencio
Capulet took to his way. Shylock was upset at the insult handed to his father.
“Ignore the man.” Shylock’s
father got up from his seat. “We can shutter for the day. I had my repayment.”
“Father, the man insulted
you. We must …” Shylock was brazened and rash with his emotions.
“Shylock, did you see the
man’s guards? They could kill you or, worse, injure you for life. We are money
lenders and not some gladiators of the past. Make haste, boy. I must secure the
coins.”
“And your mother awaits us.
If there was a reason for Hell, she must be the reason.” Shylock heard the
father and grabbed the shutter planks to close the shop. He was done with the
shudder, and yet he was still not settled with the man who insulted his father.
“Father, I will need to do
something first.” Shylock took off before his father could stop him. He ran the
streets of Genoa and out to the suburb. He was to hurry, for if he was late,
the person he was to meet would be gone.
“Leah, thank the stars. You
are still here.” Shylock met his friend at the arch of the bridge. They were
hidden from the sights of others, for hardly anyone comes below the bridge. Not
that early to dusk, but Shylock knew that Leah had to be home before dusk.
“You are late.” The lady
turned her back to Shylock.
“I was … We have a trader
who defaulted and …”
“You could have let your
father hand it to him. After all, it was your father who loaned him the coins.”
Leah was the daughter of another moneylender, but being a woman, she was not
allowed to partake in the business. However, she knew her way in the business,
maintaining the books for her widowed father and calculating the interest due.
“He … He was not good at it.
He knows how to give and when it is to return; well, he lacked your skills.”
Shylock praised the other. He was tempted to hold her in his arms, but the
traditional Jewish approach to dating, particularly within Orthodox communities, emphasizes
finding a compatible partner for marriage, often through a system of
matchmaking ("shidduch"), focusing on character, values, and shared
goals over superficial attraction, with modesty and avoiding physical intimacy
before marriage as key principles.
“I have a gift for you,”
Shylock told the lady. She turned around, and he handed her the ducat he had
taken from the shop. It was his love token to her, and allowed him to hand over
the coin. His fingers touched her right-hand palm and strayed there. She did
not pull her palm away but let his fingers caress her there.
“I have another gift for
you.” Shylock leaned towards Leah and kissed her on the left cheek. It was a
slight peck on the lips. She pushed him off, and he lost his balance. He fell
into the stream, and she laughed. Leah then took off, leaving him seated, wet
at the stream.
“Shylock, why are you all
wet?” Shylock’s mother never missed a scene at home. “Was it the khal'bea
(bitch) again?”
The Shylock family does not
like Leah or her father. It was business rivalry that made them enemies.
Shylock’s father accused the other of offering lower interest on the loans and
took his clients. It became an embroiled exchange of words, and they never
spoke again. Shylock, who had known Leah since she was young, found his solace
with her.
“Take your dinner after you
have had a bath to wash away the filth the Khal'bea had given to you.”
“Mother, we did nothing. I
had tripped and fallen into the stream.” Shylock explained, partially true.
“I know my b’ni (son)
better.” The mother shooed the son off to his bath. She sat down and looked at her
husband. “If I had known better, we would have married him to the girl from
Venice. She will be a good woman for him.”
Shylock’s father was more
focused on the food on the table. His wife was a good cook, and the gefilte
fish, chicken soup with matzo balls (also called Kneidlach), with the rye
bread, was a treat that day. She knew that he was collecting his coins that day,
and she lavished him with the better dishes. She will extract her share of the
interest, while he is left with the smaller margin to grow on.
Leah was no different, as
she kept her coins in the hidden wall, and it was piling. She wanted to save
enough to get herself to convince her father that Shylock was a good man.
Across the city, Lord Gencio
Capulet was to treat his friend, Antonio, to dinner. He had known Antonio for
many years; he traded in the wares from Spain and Italy, delivered by the ships
to the Genoa port. He was good at it and made his name there, but the
occasional hitches to the ships will cause him issues.
“I have not heard words from
the Demetus. She had sailed a week ago and had not arrived. For all I know, the
devil may have taken her to the seabed.” Antonio was an older man who worked
the docks and later as a trader. He had taken the Caputo’s wares to Italy.
“Well, I have. The ship
arrives no later than three days from today. I had wanted to tell you, but the
others told me you took a loan from a moneylender. I came to assist.” Lord
Gencio Capulet, ever smiling. “We are merchants, and at some time, we just need
to assist each other.”
“Gencio,” Antonio addressed
the Lord by his Christian name. “I am ever thankful to you. This was not the
first ….”
“Who is counting? I am not.
Have some food, Antonio. I did well at the Ottoman Empire.” Lord Gencio Capulet
smiled. “I outbid Lord Montague on the jewel stone. The Sultan is extremely
pleased. He offered me free passage to the Empire for the next trip.”
“Was that why we are having
a feast now?” Antonio laughed. The meals were of the stockfish alla Genovese, a
one-pot stew with additional ingredients of olives, vegetables, pine nuts, and
a tomato broth, the cima alla Genovese. Laborious process of filling a piece of
veal meat (usually the belly) with various ingredients, which can include
offal, giblets, and sweetbreads. Eggs, cheese, pine nuts, vegetables, and bread
may also be added. It is flavored with spices and herbs, boiled, and served in
thin slices, usually as an appetizer.
There was also the Tocco, a
Genoa food constant, the region's version of a ragù, but dare not call it a
Bolognese or ragù! To make the dish, a single cut of meat is slow-cooked for
hours until it results in a rich, brothy sauce. The meat used to make the taco
sauce is removed and used to make meatballs or added to other dishes. In
addition to mushrooms, tomatoes, and herbs, the pasta is topped with a healthy
sprinkle of grated Parmigiano cheese.
Pansotti is the Ligurian
version of ravioli and another popular Genoa food to try. The pasta is
traditionally filled with a mix of preboggion (fresh wild herbs) and
prescinsêua (an acidic type of sheep or goat milk cheese) and served with a
creamy walnut sauce or salsa di noci. Focaccia di Recco. Alongside was the
Recco, its famous focaccia. The flatbread from Recco is made of two sheets of
the thinnest dough and filled with a soft Alpine cheese called
stracchino.
“Gencio, can I count on you
to assist me?” Antonio asked the other.
“Yes, you could.” It was Lord
Gencio Caputo’s regret later in his life.
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