MARINE INSURANCE — ORIGINS AND INSTITUTIONS — 1300—1850

The marine insurance itself was first invented in Italy some five centuries ago and since then has always provided merchant shipping with the protection, facilitating the maritime commerce and trade. The content of the present book is mainly focused on the laws and customs as well as on the organizational structures, revealing the origins of the marine insurance and tracking the spread of the associated underwriting institutions and practices.

The work has been prepared on the basis of the valuable contributions made by the eleven world recognized researchers from seven different countries, sharing their knowledge and experience with the readers. The insurance is expected to provide a sort of contingent capital transformed into the money to allow shipping companies perform the trading with less conventional capital that would be required in their perilous commercial environment.

Opening with the introductory section which covers the study and nature of the marine insurance, the publication addresses different historical periods in different countries of the world, starting from the early development and up to the nineteenth century. This is a good book for anyone dealing with the insurance matters.