Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages

by Dan Jones

Champagne occupied a convenient geographical location where cloth manufacturers in the Low Countries could mingle with vendors of foreign luxury goods imported via Byzantium and Italy, and fur traders from the Baltic.27 All who attended were protected by the authority of the counts of Champagne, who by licensing the fairs also took responsibility for ensuring they were kept free from swindling or brawling, and seeing that there was a fair process for resolving disputes and pursuing those who welched on their debts. The Champagne fairs soon attracted traders from hundreds of miles away, lured by the promise of a stable, safe, fixed location where business could be done at volume. Initially attendees brought with them large quantities of stock and samples, which could be stored in purpose-built warehouses in and around these towns. But as time went on, the Champagne