Livorno, the Corsican’s and a case of tolerance toward war smuggling in the complex political-diplomatic context of 1730s

Abstract

At the beginning of the 1730s the Corsican presence in Livorno is followed very closely by the Genoese consul due to the port involvement in supplying the faction rebelling against the Republic. Therefore, Livorno became at the same time a shelter and a base of operations to fuel the revolt by sending soldiers, weapons, gunpowder, and ammunitions. The activities of the Corsican unit benefitted from the endorsement of the Spanish monarchy – who seized the city in 1731 – and from the scarce interest of the Medicean government in banning warfare trade between Tuscany and Corsica. Combining consular sources with the correspondence of the Genoese ambassadors in Florence, this research is aimed to investigate how, though not involved, Livorno played such an important role in this conflict.