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How was Venice's situation IOTL when it came to commerce and banking? I know the discovery of the Americas combined with the Ottoman conquest really crippled them as it destroyed their main trade routes and is what slowly began their decline., Genoa was still on the decline too, but essentially entered a silver age under under Charles V and Philip II. In the period of 1520 to 1556 for instance, they made vast loans that resulted in vast profits.

Now, when you think of Genoese Banks, the Bank of St. George almost immediately springs to mind, given the work they did in Corsica, even owning it for a time. I'm doing some research for my TL, Prince of Peace, and an arc involves loans being secured from both the Genoese and the Venetians. Naturally I thought of the Bank of St. George, but in this period was it really banks who made loans, but rather wealthy individuals and financiers who provided money from their own pockets or their own sources to provide private loans to their monarchs: people such as the Fuggers, - Benedict Spinola, and Thomas Gresham? I am leaning towards the individuals idea; if so can anyone point me towards any of these individuals who may of been Venetian origin and involved in loans? Or even a known Venetian banks would be of some help. Even known financiers or banks within the Republic of Ragusa, despite their less significant clout, would be of great help.
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