Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen,  Barcelona desde Montjuïc, 1533 (Civitates Orbis Terrarum, 1572). Arxiu Històric de la Ciutat de Barcelona 

Barcelona, 4-6 November 2025

Throughout history, maritime and fluvial routes have facilitated the exchange of goods, people, and ideas. These exchanges led to the creation of institutions that developed mechanisms to support and adapt to new realities resulting from these new connections and territorial expansion.

Key players in this process included royal chancelleries, municipal governments, notaries, and private entities such as merchants and traders. These actors were instrumental in articulating the responses of public authorities and society to the transformations brought up by navigation.

Institutional practices, underpinned by legal frameworks, provided formulas and contract types to ensure the legal security of traffic, navigation, international relations, and diplomacy.

The historiographical importance of documentation related to navigation has been demonstrated through diverse contributions. This conference aims to explore both the institutions and their organizational structures, as well as the processes of document production and the forms these documents took.