Vicina (town)

{{Other uses|Vicina (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Short description|Former town in Northern Dobruja, in Romania}} {{Expand Romanian|Vicina (oraș)|date=August 2016}} [[File:Vicina on a Petrus Roselli portolan.jpg|thumb|The port of Vicina in Northern Dobruja as shown on a portolan of Petrus Roselli]][[File:Flag of Vicina.svg|thumb|Flag of Vicina, according to the ''[[Book of All Kingdoms]]'']] '''Vicina''' was a town on the [[Danube]] used as a trading post by the [[Republic of Genoa]], being part of the Genoese trade empire between the 13th and 14th century. At one time, it was the most flourishing port of the maritime Danube, but its importance declined with the development of other ports such as [[Chilia Veche|Kilia]] and [[Brăila]]. Although many locations have been proposed by both historians and archeologists as the remains of Vicina, it is still unknown where this town was located.

==Early history== The earliest reference to Vicina ([[Byzantine Greek|Greek]] Βιτζίνα, ''Bitzina'') is found in the ''[[Alexiad]]'', written in 1148 by [[Anna Comnena]], which described events from late 11th century.<ref name="Poncea111"/> She mentions that it was ruled by two [[Pecheneg]] chieftains, Sesthlav and Satzas.{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991}} Soon, trade flourished and Vicina was named a rich town by an Arab traveler.<ref name="Poncea111"/>

In the 12th century, the [[Arab geographer]] [[al-Idrīsī]] called the town ''Disina''.{{sfn|Kazhdan|1991}}

==Trade== The Mongol conquests led to a period of peace and stability (the so-called ''[[Pax Mongolica]]'') which favored trade.<ref>Rădvan, p.135-136</ref> Within the Black Sea region, merchants from [[Venice]] and Genoa were active, with the Venetians using existing towns as their tradeposts, while the Genoese preferred to create their own towns.<ref name="Rădvan135"/> Following the [[Treaty of Nymphaeum (1261)]], the Genoese gained the priority in the trade in the region.<ref name="Rădvan135"/>

The Genoese bought cereals, wax, fish and hides (which were produced in the Danubian regions and the Mongol-ruled [[steppe]]s)<ref name="Poncea112">Poncea, p.112</ref> and sold manufactured products such as [[Lombardia|Lombard]] cloth<ref name="Poncea111">Poncea, p.111</ref> and linen, as well as spices,<ref name="Rădvan135">Rădvan, p.135</ref> servicing the territories of Wallachia and Moldavia even before the founding of the states, as well as the [[Principality of Halych|Knyazate of Halych]].<ref name="Poncea111"/>

The town of Vicina, like other Genoese towns, was overseen by a consul.<ref name="Rădvan107">Rădvan, p.107</ref>

==Decline== At the end of the 14th century, Vicina was under Byzantine control, and according to a document from 1337–1338, it was ruled by "infamous heathens", presumably Mongols, Turks or Tatars.<ref name="Rădvan251"/> Soon after that, another document noted the rise and fall of the [[Metropolis (religious jurisdiction)|metropolis]] of Vicina, as Vicina was "plagued by barbarians" and had only a few Christians. In 1359, the Metropolitan Hyacinth of Vicina moved to [[Curtea de Argeș|Argeș]] with the approval of the [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]].<ref name="Rădvan251"/>

The commerce of Vicina was severely affected during the [[Byzantine–Genoese War (1348–1349)|Genoese-Byzantine war of 1351–1352]]. After the war, the Byzantines lost the control of the Lower Danube to the Genoese, who gained control over the town of Kilia (today [[Chilia Veche]], Romania)<ref>Rădvan, p.345</ref> The decline of Vicina also led to the rise of another port on the Danube, [[Brăila]], which became the largest port on the Danube in the region.<ref>Rădvan, p.234</ref> This was also helped by the political stability within Wallachia, whereas Vicina was caught in fights between Mongols and Bulgarians, later also with the Turks.<ref name="Rădvan252">Rădvan, p.252</ref>

==Location== The exact location of Vicina is not yet known and it's a matter of debate among historians and archeologists. [[Portolan chart]]s place it right after ''Drinago'' (which is assumed to be modern [[Brăila]]), south of the Danube.<ref>Rădvan, p.250</ref> Based on this, many historians identified it with [[Isaccea]],<ref name="Rădvan251">Rădvan, p.251</ref> while archeologists identify it with [[Păcuiul lui Soare]]. In the "[[Book of Knowledge of All Kingdoms]]...", written during the 14th-century, the location of Vicina is described thus: "I departed from the kingdom of [[Nesebar|Menseber]] and went along the shore of the [[Black Sea|Mare Mayor]] to a great city called Vecina. Here nine rivers unite, and fall into the Mare Mayor. They call the first Turbo, the second Danubio, the third Dacia, the fourth Drinago, the fifth Pinga, the sixth Raba, the seventh Rabesa, the eighth Ur, the ninth Vecine. These nine rivers make a great commotion before this city of Vecina which is the capital of the kingdom. It has a white flag with four red squares."<ref>***: ''[https://archive.org/details/s2bookofknowledg29markuoft/page/56/mode/2up?q=vecina Book of Knowledge of All Kingdoms...]'', London, 1912, p. 56</ref> Over time, historians identified it with a variety of places:

* [[Isaccea]]: [[Nicolae Grămadă]], [[Nicolae Bănescu]], [[Gheorghe Moisescu]], [[Ştefan Lupşa]], [[Alexandru Filipaşcu]], [[Constantin C. Giurescu]]<ref name="Poncea113">Poncea, p.113</ref> * Between Isaccea and Tulcea: [[Nicolae Iorga]]<ref name="Poncea113"/> * [[Niculițel]]: [[Constantin Brătescu (geographer)|Constantin Brătescu]]<ref name="Poncea113"/> * [[Păcuiul lui Soare]]: [[Petre Diaconu]]<ref name="Rădvan251"/> * [[Mahmudia]]: [[Gheorghe I. Brătianu]]<ref name="Rădvan251"/> * [[Hârșova]]-[[Topalu]] area: [[Octavian Iliescu]]<ref name="Rădvan251"/> * [[Vidin]]: [[Constantin N. Hurmuzaki]]<ref name="Poncea112"/> * [[Măcin]]: [[Wilhelm Tomaschek]], [[Konstantin Jireček]], [[Nicolae Dobrescu]], [[J. Bromberg]]<ref name="Poncea112"/> * [[Nufăru]]: [[Georgi Atanasov (historian)|Georgi Atanasov]]<ref>Georgi Atanasov, "La Vicina médiévale et la forteresse de Nufaru", ''Études balkaniques''. 30/1 (1994) 109–128</ref> * somewhere in [[Albania]]: [[Alexandru D. Xenopol]]<ref name="Poncea112"/>

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== *{{ODB|first=Alexander |last=Kazhdan |title=Vicina}} *Poncea, Traian-Valentin. ''[http://www.bibliotecametropolitana.ro/Uploads//3_2011/155846.pdf Geneza orașului medieval românesc Extra-Carpatic (secolele X-XIV)]'', Editura Biblioteca Bucureștilor, 1999, {{ISBN|973-98918-4-5}}. *Rădvan, Laurențiu. ''At Europe's Borders: Medieval Towns in the Romanian Principalities'', Brill, 2010, {{ISBN|9789004180109}}.

[[Category:Populated places on the Danube]] [[Category:Genoese colonies]] [[Category:Lost cities and towns]] [[Category:Republic of Genoa]] [[Category:Former cities in Romania]] [[Category:Romania in the Early Middle Ages]] [[Category:Byzantine sites in Romania]] [[Category:Medieval Dobruja]] [[Category:Territories of the Republic of Genoa]]