L'assedio di Costantinopoli.

• Constantinople, the golden city, is besieged by the Turkish sultan Murad II who wants to conquer the city to take possession of the commercial emporium to which all the goods of the world flow. The Ottomans have already taken all the territories of the Roman Empire of the East and only a few cities are missing such as Constantinople, Thessaloniki and Mistrà in the Morea. The author recounts in the form of dialogue the agony of Byzantium where many become poor and must serve in the mansions of aristocrats who benefit from imperial concessions and manage the properties rented to foreign merchants. The artisans close their shops because the necessary raw materials for manufacturers no longer flow into the city. The maritime republics of Venice and Genoa control all commercial traffic and operate the banks that emit gold and silver coins, also using exchange cards for the divestment of the finances necessary for the sale of goods.