A 1261 secret alliance gave a merchant republic exclusive trade rights in the East
The Treaty of Nymphaeum in 1261 forged a secret alliance between the Byzantine Empire and Genoa, permanently altering the balance of power and trade in the Mediterranean.
In a strategic gamble on March 13, 1261, the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos signed a secret pact with the Republic of Genoa. The emperor granted the Genoese exclusive trading rights and tax exemptions in exchange for their naval support against their bitter rivals, the Venetians.
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