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 ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

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

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

. 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