Medieval merchants exercised power in lots of ways. Wealth was of course a form of power in its own right. And by their sheer command of resources and reserves of gold and silver, Italian cities like Venice, Genoa, and Pisa achieved commercial success, which went a long way toward guaranteeing their political independence from kings and emperors. It allowed them to act as states, despite their tiny geographical footprint: going to war, joining and even leading crusades, invading enemy territory, and colonizing non-Christian spaces. At the same time, diplomats like Marco Polo influenced the
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