Photo Gallery

Just as in the days of the Spice Route, sailing ships occasionally drop anchor in the Giudecca Canal in Venice – a sight that is, sadly, becoming increasingly rare. During the heyday of the Spice Route in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance (from around the 13th to the end of the 15th century), Venice was the undisputed economic hub and the wealthiest city in Europe. The Republic of Venice held the European monopoly on the trade in Asian spices such as pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger. Venetian merchants did not travel to India or China themselves. They purchased the luxury goods at the end points of the Asian caravan and sea routes in the Middle East – primarily in ports such as Alexandria (Egypt), Aleppo and Antioch (Syria). Through skilful diplomacy and treaties with the ruling Mamluks, they secured exclusive access rights there. – 1989