Abstract
Using data for proxying economic activity, we confirm historical consensus that the medieval Republic of Ragusa (now Dubrovnik) was a prosperous small open economy, rivaling bigger competitors like Venice. More tentatively, we test a number of hypotheses on the determinants of success, finding partial evidence that Ragusa had strong fundamentals with prudent finances, effective rule of law, good governance, social fairness, business-friendly institutions, and trade openness. Ragusa may be an early example of a ‘Tiger’ economy with growth-promoting institutions. Future research should test the ‘resilience hypothesis’ that such economies are best able to deal with external shocks.
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