Presents a wealth of original research findings on how medieval ports actually worked, providing new insights on shipping, trade, port society and culture, and systems of regional and international integration. This book responds to the increasing interest of maritime historians in the study of ports. These enclaves offer significant insights into a variety of subjects, including ships and shipping; trade, commodities, and consumption patterns; the economy, society and culture of port workers and port communities; and systems of regional and international integration. Based on extensive research in a wide range of European archives, the book provides much detailon the nature of ports in the medieval period, especially on the crucial subject of the operation of ports. Covering a range of ports in France, Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands, the book contains a wealth of original research findings. It will be particularly welcomed by English-speaking scholars and others outside the region analysed, since it gives access to non-English-language archives, thereby considerably enriching the study of medieval portsbeyond ports in Britain and Ireland.