10. Genoa, Italy
Genoa’s influence as a maritime and financial powerhouse was shaped in part by its involvement in Mediterranean slave trading during the medieval and early modern periods. Genoese merchants traded enslaved Africans, Slavs, and other peoples, integrating human trafficking into the city’s economic fabric. This commerce helped cement Genoa’s legacy as an international banking center, with its wealth and institutions still visible today. For further reading on Genoa’s role in this history, see Mediterranean Historical Review.
