Genoese slave trade

Maritime republics of Genoa (red) and Venice (green) and their trade routes in the Mediterranean region.
Caffa.

The Genoese slave trade refers to the slave trade conducted by the Republic of Genoa, which was a major business during primarily the Middle Ages.

In the 13th century, the Genoese established colonies in Crimea, and acquired slaves of various religions to sell to either Southern Europe via Crete and the Balearic Islands, or to the Middle East directly via the Black Sea. The Genoese met competition in the Venetian slave trade of the Republic of Venice.

The Black Sea slave trade was closed off from Genoa due to the conquests of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century and integrated in to the Ottoman slave trade, specifically via the Black Sea slave trade. This ended the old import routes of slaves to Europe, which contributed to the development of the Atlantic slave trade to provide the European colonies in America with slave labor.

After the end of the Black Sea slave trade, Genoa also took part in the Atlantic slave trade.