European commerce remained unchanged. America had not been discovered, and
the only known route to India was by land.
Venice, enthroned by her central position as queen of commerce, compelled
the nations of Europe and Asia to convey to her port all the riches of the
world.
One single city, Bruges in Flanders, serving as an international mart for
the people of the North and South, shared, in some measure, the commercial
prosperity of Venice; but popular insurrections and continual civil wars
had induced a large number of foreign merchants to prefer Brabant to
Flanders, and Antwerp was becoming a powerful rival to Bruges.
At this period two great events occurred, by which a new channel was
opened to trade: Christopher Columbus discovered America, and Vasco de
Gama, by doubling the Cape of Good Hope, pointed out a new route to India.
This latter discovery, by presenting another grand highway to the world,
deprived Venice of the peculiar advantages of her situation, and obliged
commerce to seek a new emporium. Portugal and Spain were the most powerful
nations on sea; countless ships left their ports for the two Indies, and
brought back spices, pearls, and the precious metals for distribution
throughout the Old World. This commercial activity required an emporium in
the centre of Europe, halfway between the North and the South, whither
Spaniards, Portuguese, and Italians, as well as French, English, Germans,
Swedes, and Russians, could resort with equal facility as to a perpetual
mart for all the commodities exchanged between the Old and the New
World.[1] A few years before the commencement of the religious wars which proved so
disastrous to the country, Antwerp was in a most flourishing condition.
Thousands of ships of every form and size covered its broad river like a
forest of masts, whose many-colored flags indicated the presence of
traders from all the commercial nations of the globe.
Portuguese gallions carried thither the gems and spices of the East;
Spanish gallions the gold and silver of America; Italian vessels were
laden with the delicate fruits and rich stuffs of the Southern countries;
German vessels with grains and metals; and all returned to their own
countries heavily freighted with other merchandise, and made way for the
ships which were continually arriving, and which, according to
contemporary chronicles, were often obliged to wait six weeks before they
succeeded in approaching the wharf.[2] Small craft, such as hers, ascended the Scheldt, and even ventured out
to sea in order to trade with the neighboring people. Transportation into
the interior of the country was effected by means of very strong wagons,
several hundred of which daily left Antwerp. The heavy vehicles which
conveyed merchandise through Cologne to the heart of Germany were called
Hessenwagens.[3] This extraordinary activity induced many foreigners to establish
themselves in a city where gold was so abundant, and where every one might
reasonably hope for large profits.