oa Navigating legality

This contribution analyzes how, in the eighteenth century, the port of Genoa offered significant economic opportunities for women from lower social classes. Women managed inns, taverns, and lodging activities, and engaged in the sale of basic necessities, whose origins were not always legal. The exchange of goods with foreign sailors often intersected with the informal practice of prostitution, posing significant risks to personal safety. Additionally, the port area provided lucrative opportunities in the smuggling of foodstuffs. By studying criminal records produced by the magistrates overseeing the circulation of these goods, this study uncovers illegal supply and sale networks involving bread and wine. Some particularly enterprising women engaged in the retail sale of smuggled goods, using raw materials supplied by other women. Through the examination of criminal cases, this research reveals how the port functioned as a gendered space where women sought new earning opportunities in the shadow of city institutions.