The Track Of Braudel. Silver and vessels on the Cadiz-Genoa route in the 17th century[La pista di Braudel. Argento e vascelli sulla rotta Cadice-Genova nel XVII secolo]

This essay examines the transformation of Genoa's role in the transatlantic silver cir- cuits of the seventeenth century, building on Fernand Braudel's suggestion regarding the importance of the Cádiz-Genoa route. Moving beyond the traditional boundary of the "Century of the Genoese" (1528-1627), the authors propose the concept of a "Long Century of the Genoese" (1528-1714), emphasizing the city's ability to adapt to the logistical and fiscal changes reshaping Mediterranean and Atlantic commerce. The article combines historiographical reflection with a quanti- tative analysis based on the records of the Genoese Magistracy of Health, which document the arrival of ships carrying silver between 1640 and 1699. These sources reveal Genoa's continuing role as a redistribution hub for pieces of eight destined for Italian and Northern European markets. The study argues that Genoa successfully reinvented itself as a strategic node in the circulation of silver within an increasingly interconnected Mediterranean and Atlantic world.