Venice, Amsterdam, and London During the Renaissance

Venice, Amsterdam, and London all were leaders in commercial development during the Renaissance. This is due in part to their outlook on diversity, the proximity to waterways, and their ability to structure stable financial institutions. Venice started the commercial revolution in Europe during the 1300s. They encouraged people of different ethnic backgrounds to move to their city. This diversity allowed a variety of specialists and experts to set up shop in the city. These experts gave them the knowledge to create infrastructures that would support a commercial industry. Banks were set up to accumulate capital to finance international commercial venture, promissory notes were devised to aid in the easy transference of money to and from the New World and other exotic locations, assembly line factories were set up to increase the out put of commodities that could be used and sold, artisans perfected their techniques and created quality goods for sale, the beauty of the city attracted tourists and brought in additional money to the Venice economy. (Rabb and Marshall, 1993, pp. 166-169). All of these factors created the stability and commercial success Venice enjoyed for centuries.