10. 1277: Genoese ships arrive in Bruges
In 1277, the first Genoese ships put in to Bruges. The establishment of a regular maritime link between the Mediterranean and the North Sea ushered in a decisive invasion by the southerners - for the Genoese were but a foretaste of what was to come: the last of the newcomers.
Thus Bruges came to be the centre of a huge trading area, covering no less than the Mediterranean, Portugal, France, England, the Rhineland, and the Hansa. The town grew in size: 35,000 inhabitants in 1340.
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