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Book of privileges and other acts done by the honorable Consuls of the Sea of ​​Barcelona.

Date
1347 - 1737
Archive
Library of Catalonia
Document type
Textual
Reference code
CAT XXX BARCELONA, BIBLIOTECA DE CATALUNYA, Fons de la Junta de Comerç de Barcelona, JC 192
Link to the online document
Description

This book, which collects the privileges and acts of the Barcelona Sea Consuls between 1347 and 1737, is a key piece to understanding Catalan leadership in Mediterranean maritime trade. The Consulate of the Sea, a pioneering institution in maritime law, established rules that influenced all of Europe. The document, preserved in the Library of Catalonia, shows the institutional strength of the Crown of Aragon and the centrality of Barcelona as a commercial port. It is an outstanding example of Catalan documentary heritage of institutional origin, and reflects how Catalonia has contributed to the legal, economic and cultural construction of modern Europe.