8 - Quid plura? 1191–5

Summary

After the Genoese agreement with Henry VI interest in trade with Sicily evaporated. The contracts concerned with Sicily that survive from the summer of 1191 look back to a period when trade prospects were good; they do not look forward to future financial ventures aimed at the Regno. On 30 June 1191 the Lucchese merchant Buonesegno, son of Amigueto, received back £67 that he had invested on an earlier occasion in a partnership aimed at Sicily. It seems that the planned expedition never departed, and so Buonesegno recalled his investment. On 11 September three Genoese, Ugone Busca, Vassallo Straleira and Giovanni Grita, came together to reapportion capital and profits following an expedition to Sicily which seems to have ended in financial disarray. From late August onwards, factors sent earlier to Sicily and Tunis appeared before Guglielmo Cassinese to have their partnerships augmented by further investment; but, significantly, they were now bound for east Mediterranean destinations.

As early as 25 August 1191 Giovanni Mazatorta had announced his intention of travelling to Sicily that coming winter, and had received £2 on loan, promising to repay 50s. In the loan contract Mazatorta refers to the ‘maiori parte rerum navium euntis et venientis’; whether by this he meant a primarily military expedition, planned as a reinforcement of existing Genoese forces, or a primarily financial expedition, is not clear. It was not until late September, with news of Henry VI's withdrawal, that hopes of trade in Sicily were renewed.