In the Middle Ages, the city of Venice was one of the wealthiest in Europe, because it had a naval empire that monopolized trade over most of the Eastern Mediterranean.
This led to the development of guilds: associations of people who belonged to the same craft and/or trade, and who regulated that craft or trade from within the guild.
The guild provided training, controlled the amount of people who were allowed to dedicate themselves to the craft or trade, and managed any other issue related to the guild.
