Uno strumento operativo ibrido: «l’accomenda all’uso di Sanremo»

This paper examines the “accomenda all’uso di Sanremo”, a distinctive maritime credit instrument developed in the early modern Ligurian Riviera. Drawing on statutory sources, other evidence, and comparative analysis, it argues that the Sanremo accomenda represents a hybrid form between the associative commenda and the financial sea loan. By introducing fixed “route-based” interest rates, mandatory notarial registration, implementing collateral guarantees, reporting mechanisms, and sanctioning measures, this institution reduced information asymmetries and stabilized returns, fostering local capital mobilization within a marginal port economy. Far from being a mere adaptation of Genoese models, it reveals an endogenous capacity for financial innovation and risk management “from below.” The case of Sanremo thus broadens the geography of Mediterranean maritime finance, highlighting the resilience of small coastal communities.