A ''muda'' was the

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

of merchant ships that usually left

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

in spring and came back in autumn. In the earliest times, the mudas only visited ports in the

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is ...

. In later years, the ships sailed also to European ports. Along with merchants and goods, the mudas brought knowledge, new ideas and new cultures to Venice.

Sources

* Republic of Venice History of international trade {{water-transport-stub