MOBILITY OF CRETAN CRAFTSMEN AND DISSEMINATION OF TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE DURING THE VENETIAN PERIOD

Based on unpublished and published archival material, this paper examines the types of mobility of Cretan craftsmen, the causes of their dispersion and the geography of their movements during the Venetian period. It turns out that they were movements without distinguishing features among them, classified as: a) invitations of skilled workers to perform a specific project, b) migrations of labour force in regions offering stable and continuous employment, which have been influenced by external factors (wars, epidemics, economic crises) and c) movements of craftsmen, as individuals and / or in groups, within and outside the island, defined by the type of profession. It is also documented that any movement, whether permanent or temporary, of artisans contributed to the transfer of technical knowledge from Crete to their new workplace and place of residence. For this reason, the Venetian authorities tried to control the migration of skilled workers. In conclusion, geographical mobility affected their social mobility.