Le systeme de l'Incanto des galees du marche a Venise offers the first complete analysis of the medieval Venetian system of auctioning (Incanto) the state-owned galleys for commercial use. The Incanti (auction records) reveal a pattern of progressive intervention by the state in sea-trading and the evolution of a corpus of statutes governing private navigation. The work traces the growth and interdependency of the 8 state shipping lines. By establishing the infrastructure necessary for international commerce, the state (or rather the patriciate) enabled the involvement in trade -- in...