Artesanado sedero y capital comercial en la Valencia del siglo XVIII

Abstract

The intense development of the «Verlagssystem» in the XVIII century silk industry in Valencia showed the difficulties of the traditional craftsmen to keep their economic independence. In order to fighy against it, the craftsmen adopted several initiatives, which dealt with the constitution of a share-holding company, as much as with the creation of a communal store to favour the suppley of raw materials to the factories. The most important project was the constitution of the «Compañía de Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados» in 1772. But the requirement of the General Board of Commerce to allow all the social classes to take part in shareholders, as it was not accompanied by the modification of the clause that established the reservation of the managines charges for the silk craftsmen,·provoked the unchaining of serious conflicts which brought its final failure.