Trade Exchanges between the Kingdom of the two Sicilies and the Countries of the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea (1734-1861)

When Charles of Bourbon occupied the kingdom of Naples, in 1734, the situation was quite critical because it lacked the infrastructure, the fleet had been destroyed, the harbours were in disuse and the trade was in crisis. Around 1750, some very big ships, called “polacche” (polacres), were built: they were also equipped with guns, and they took part in the trade between England and the (American) colonies. During the regency of Bernardo Tanucci (1759-1767), mainmasts for the new fleet were sent from Sweden and Denmark, with whom the Bourbons had already stipulated some trade agreements (in 1742 and 1748). The purpose is to establish a framework of the trade routes between the Kingdom of Naples and the new emporia in the Black Sea and in the Baltic Sea. To this end, an examination of customs documents used in foreign trade during the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies kept in the State Archives of Naples, will be the main concern of the paper.