Although scholars have long debated the extent of trade and urban life
during the early Middle Ages, there is general agreement that increased trade
activity was evident before the crusades. With the ending of Viking and Magyar
attacks in the tenth century, a northern trading area developed, which
extended from the British Isles to the Baltic Sea.
The center of this northern trade system was the county of Flanders. By1050 Flemish artisans were producing a surplus of woolen cloth of such finequality that it was in great demand. Baltic furs, honey and forest products,and British tin and raw wool were exchanged for Flemish cloth. From the southby way of Italy came oriental luxury goods - silks, sugar, and spices. Trade Routes And Trade Fairs A catalyst of the medieval commercial revolution was the opening of theMediterranean trading area. In the eleventh century, Normans and Italiansbroke the Muslim hold on the eastern Mediterranean, and the First Crusaderevived trade with the Near East. Arab vessels brought luxury goods from theEast to ports on the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. From there they were shipped bycaravan to Alexandria, Acre, and Joppa, and from those ports the merchants ofVenice, Genoa, and Pisa transported the goods to Italy on their way to themarkets of Europe. Other trade routes from Asia came overland, passing throughBaghdad and Damascus and on to ports, such as Tyre and Sidon, in the crusaderstates. The easiest route north from the Mediterranean was by Marseilles andup the Rhone valley.
