The Merchant of Prato: Francesco di Marco Datini, 1335-1410

Barbara Tuchman recommended THE MERCHANT OF PRATO as "one of the great historical writings of the 20th century. The author resurrects not only a personality whom we can recognize but also his times, his town, his marriage, his household and business. It is a work of extraordinary interest, one that grips and holds the reader."

Francesco di Marco Datini, a 14th century Florentine merchant-banker, is one of the greatest success stories of the Middle Ages. A dealer in wool, sacred pictures, spices, iron and sundries, he established an import/export house with branches in Pisa, Genoa, Barcelona and Majorca. He was a man of energy and talent, but he was recognizably human with a full dossier of flaws. His business documents and letters, most of them preserved, opened a door to those long dead times.