Before the empire: Portugal and the Atlantic trade in the late Middle Ages

Abstract

The maritime history of Portugal is commonly associated with Henry the Navigator and the voyages of exploration during the “age of discoveries,” which allowed the exchange of exotic commodities and the cross-cultural encounter of civilisations. But before Portugal became an empire, its merchants and ships were commuting between Iberia and Atlantic markets laden with figs, raisins, wine, olive oil, and other typical Portuguese commodities. This article discusses the medieval origins of Portugal's maritime trade before the overseas expansion by presenting a critical overview of the first commercial contacts in England, Flanders, Zeeland, and Normandy, and by analysing the major shifts in Portugal's commercial exchange. It also examines the relation between fifteenth-century commerce and overseas expansion in order to identify changes in Euro-Atlantic trade patterns.