The main purpose of this session is to show how Byzantine dominance in the Black Sea area was replaced by Genoese, Venetian, and later Turkic supremacy. A case study examines Venetian trading companies, their activities, and their internal structure on the basis of the little-known documents of the Giudici di Petizion (Venice State Archives). The experience of the officials sent to administer the Genoese settlements in the Black Sea concerning language difficulties is not frequently highlighted. Administrators and notaries had to deal with a more complex situation than that to which they were accustomed in the Mediterranean, owing to the presence of individuals who spoke languages unfamiliar to them. The frequent presence of interpreters confirms the need for mutual comprehension. The dynamics of cultural exchange in the Venetian colonies, particularly in Tana, and the interplay among Latin Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Mongol, Armenian, and Jewish communities are also examined. Through an analysis of trade networks, religious missions, and settler interactions, the session highlights how the Venetians adapted to and influenced the local environment. Religious tensions and political rivalries, however, complicated these exchanges. On the basis of Venetian archival records, it is argued that Venetian Gazaria was not only a commercial hub but also a site of significant cultural syncretism, where diverse cultural traditions interacted and coexisted, leaving lasting imprints. The realities of the Genoese presence on the southern coast of Crimea (ripparia marina Gotia) are also explored. The session presents the results of the latest archaeological research on the Genoese castles of this region in Alushta, Gurzuf, Yalta, and Semeiz. Finally, on the basis of medieval Georgian sources concerning Crimea and the northern Black Sea region, the significance of this area for the sociocultural development of Georgia is outlined. Particular attention is paid to the consecration of John of Gothia in Iberia as a bishop, which is presented as an important argument for the autocephaly of the Georgian Church.
An aspect not frequently highlighted in the experience of the officials sent to administer the Genoese settlements in the Black Sea is that of language difficulties. Administrators and notaries had to deal with a much more complex situation than those to which they were accustomed in the Mediterranean, due to the presence of individuals who…
Studying evidences of medieval Georgian writings about Crimea and the Northern Black Sea, the author determines the significance of this region for the sociocultural development of Georgia. Particular attention is paid to John of Gothia’s ordination in Iberia as a bishop, which served as the weighty argument in the polemics about the legality of the…