Dubrovnik i aragonsko Napuljsko Kraljevstvo u 15. stoljeću: uloga obitelji Kotrulj
Authors: Janeković Römer Zdenka 
Published: December 2023

During the first half of the 15th century, the Republic of Dubrovnik sought to establish diplomatic and trade relations with the powerful state of Naples. Economic exchanges and political connections expanded, as evidenced by documents from both Dubrovnik and Naples, and also in a different way also by Ragusan merchant and diplomat Benedict Kotrulj, in his famous work Del arte dela mercatura. The government of Dubrovnik was well informed about the king of Aragon, Alfonso V, and communicated with him during the reign of Queen Joanna II. Alfonso’s first charter to Ragusans, on the freedom of trade and compensation for damages inflicted on them by pirates, was issued in 1428, followed by numerous new privileges and exemptions. During the reign of Alfonso and his successor, Ferrante, the people of Dubrovnik became the most privileged merchants in the Kingdom of Naples, surpassing the Venetians. After securing the throne, Alfonso embarked on the reconstruction of the Kingdom of Naples and elevated it militarily, economically and culturally. Among the many foreign traders and companies, the Ragusans secured their place in the kingdom. Moreover, since the beginning of Alfonso’s reign, Dubrovnik became a vital diplomatic and intelligence stronghold for the king in his endeavours to fulfil to his considerable political ambitions in the eastern Adriatic seaboard and throughout the Balkan Peninsula, especially in his anti-Ottoman campaigns. The king’s diplomacy also entailed relations with Dubrovnik’s enemies, such as Duke Stjepan Vukčić Kosača, but the Dubrovnik government tolerated this, because its advantageous position in the kingdom far outweighed any drawbacks. In trade and diplomacy between Dubrovnik and the Aragonese countries, the Kotrulj family of Ragusa enjoyed the most prominent position. In the first half of the 15th century, Jacob Kotrulj, in addition to his extensive mercantile activities in the Kingdom of Naples, obtained a high number of privileges for his republic. He was also the governor of the mint in Naples. His business was continued by son Benedict just as Alfonso ascended to the throne. He was very well situated in the Aragonese court of Naples, under the protection of both Alfonso and Ferrante. As a merchant, he exploited this to his advantage, overseeing a lucrative business in southern Italy and Catalonia between Ragusan, Florentine and Catalan merchants. In addition, as his father before him, he was the governor of the mint in Naples and L’Aquila. Although he was at odds with the Republic of Dubrovnik in a lengthy commercial dispute, his immunity as an envoy of Alfonso and then Ferrante kept him safe from litigation in his home city. The reigns of Alfonso and Ferrante in the Kingdom of Naples was marked by peace and economic and cultural progress. A number of humanists and scholars of the time gathered at Alfonso’s court, including Benedict Kotrulj, a merchant, diplomat and the author of several significant works. He, his family, and the entire Republic of Dubrovnik profited from Aragonese rule in the Kingdom. Their privileged status attracted many merchants from Dubrovnik to Naples and other cities in the kingdom. In the latter half of the 15th century, privileges in the Kingdom of Naples allowed the republic to overcome the crisis caused by Ottoman conquests in the Balkan hinterland. During that period, the people of Dubrovnik reach a settlement with the Ottoman Empire, gaining great privileges there and the status of mediators between the empire and the West, in the first instance the Kingdom of Naples. The benefits were also political, as Dubrovnik was one of the important strongholds of Aragonese policy in the eastern Adriatic seaboard and in the wider hinterland. The French conquest of Naples in 1395 ended the glorious period of the Aragonese government, initiated by Alfonso’s triumph in 1442, and even the people of Dubrovnik had to alter policies and seek new alliances in southern Italy.