How Did Italian City-States Build Trade In Italy

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In Italy, growing towns developed into city-states. Italian city-states conducted their own trade, collected their own taxes, and made their own laws. Trade played a crucial part in their economics. Italy's location on the central Mediterranean placed its cities in the middle of the trade routes that connected the rest of western Europe with the East. Towns along these trading routes provided accommodations and services for travelling merchants. Many of these city states became prosperous. People from all over Europe came to northern Italy to buy, sell, and do their banking. Many city-states developed specializations. For example, Milan produced metal goods and armor. Genoa was a trading center for ivory and gold. Venice had hundreds