Pubblici nemici sul mare. La corsa europea nel Mar Ligure tra Seicento e Settecento attraverso la documentazione genovese.

Between the 17th and the 18th century, European and Barbary corsairs represented a consistent threat for Genoese maritime trade. The presence of privateers in the Ligurian Sea, was a damage not only to trade activities, but also to the reputation of the Republic, and it undermined its claims of sovereignty over the Ligurian Sea area. As a matter of fact, privateers often disrespected trade rules and even attacked neutral ships. The Republic of Genoa deployed its fleet so as to deal with European corsairs, and due to political reasons, often leading to reactions by bigger powers such as France or Spain, which benefitted from the work of privateers in the Ligurian Sea. In this article, mainly through archive documents, the actions of European corsairs are analyzed by Genoese point of view, with an insight on political and military aspects, aswell as the continuous struggle between the Republic and French, Spanish, English, Dutch and Corsican corsairs that haunted its sea area.