The Maltese mercantile diaspora in the Mediterranean in the eighteenth andnineteenth centuries

In the late seventeenth century Malta was confronted with an enduring crisi s in what had probably been the most important sector of its urban economy: corsairing. This, together with reduced defence expenditure by the Hospita llers, caused the islanders to seek new opportunities abroad. capitalizing on privileged access to Catholic nations in Southern Europe. Maltese mercha nt seafarers carved out a niche for themselves selling cotton in Italy, Fra nce, Spain and Portugal. In Spain the Maltese also created a network of ret ail outlets selling cloth. This system collapsed with the demise of the Anc ien Regime and in the nineteenth century the focus of the Maltese trading n etwork shifted south towards North Africa and the Middle East. It is a phen omenon which has still to receive adequate attention from researchers.