Accounting and insurance in the early modern age

Abstract

This article aims to offer, through the use of sixteenth-century accounting sources, a contribution on a crucial issue for the development of Mediterranean transports and trades of the early modern age, such as the maritime insurance. The research focuses on the importance and high information potential of accounting records, even in this real economy sector. It analyzes a business case in one of the main maritime centers of the Mediterranean area, the city-state of Ragusa (present-day Dubrovnik), and is concerned with investigating the insurance activity of a Dubrovnik merchant. Through the analysis of the accounting records, in addition to the business dynamics and the economic and fiduciary relationships occurred between the merchant and the other actors of the security contract, aspects related to the insurance management, profits and losses of the same are taken into consideration. In addition, the relevance and close connection of insurance with the businesses and the ship owners’ interests of the company is also considered.

Keywords

• accounting history, insurance, modern age, ragusa