Economy

During the years of the Knights’ occupation, Rhodos becomes a place of great strategic and economic importance.

From the first decades, great commercial and banking companies of Florence, had already set up branches in Rhodos.

The island becomes an outpost of the West and an important station in the trade routes between Europe and Orient. Consequently, it develops commercial exchanges with Asia Minor, Turkey, Sicily, Crete, Cyprus, Middle East, Italy, France and the Iberian peninsula. Local workshops produce wax, perfumes, garments, but mainly soap and sugar which is second in quality only to that of Cyprus. Metal processing and ceramics production are also well developed.

Shipping, carried out mainly by Frankish and Greek vessels, was another very important aspect of Rhodian economy, since its main function was merchandise transportation. The majority of the Knights’ ship crews were Rhodians.

The Greeks were also used by the Knights, for their negotiations with the Turks, either as interpreters or as representatives, and therefore many Rhodians had their opportunity to become remarkably wealthy.

The peasants, however, who lived in the 45 settlements of the rhodian country, had agriculture and stock-raising as their main occupation.