Fra terra e mare: l’economia portofinese in età moderna

This essay investigates the economic structure of Portofino in the early modern period, focusing on the interaction between land-based and maritime activities within the framework of Mediterranean coastal “multi-activity.” Drawing on unpublished archival sources—including parish registers, fiscal records, maritime censuses, and administrative correspondence—it reconstructs demographic trends, migration patterns, marriage networks, and occupational structures. The study examines the strategic and economic functions of the port as a refuge, transshipment point, and authorised site for ship maintenance within the Republic of Genoa’s maritime system. Quantitative and qualitative evidence is integrated to connect local dynamics to broader Mediterranean patterns of port hierarchy, seafaring labour mobility, and coastal economic resilience. By situating Portofino within multi-scalar maritime networks, the research contributes to debates on the role of minor harbours as active agents in early modern economic and maritime history.