This study aims to reconstruct a complex reality by examining various itineraries and combinations of overland and sea routes. Its goal is to understand the economic, political, and cultural significance of the western and northern Black Sea coastal area within a broad network centered on maritime and overland trade in the Mediterranean world. The proposed project represents the final phase of my research dedicated to the study of the revival, in the ninth and tenth centuries, of long-distance travel and trade in the medieval world.

So far, my research has resulted in the publication of two monographs and numerous articles in different academic journals and essay collections. These works provide a fairly comprehensive overview of the commercial exchange that occurred along Europe’s northern and southern coasts and the surrounding areas during the 9th, 10th, and most of the 11th centuries.