Port cities of Atlantic Iberia, c. 1500-1900

"Charting the evolution of the port cities of Atlantic Spain and Portugal over four centuries, this book examines the often dynamic interaction between the large privileged ports of Lisbon, Seville and Cadiz (the Metropoles) and the smaller ports of, among others, Oporto, Corunna and Santander (the Second Tier). The book particularly focuses on the implications of state-sponsored commercial policies for the main ports of Atlantic Iberia during the monopoly period extending from 1503 to c. 1778, and briefly considers the implications of the suppression of monopoly for these centres over the remainder of the nineteenth century."--Jacket.