In this work James Murray explores how Bruges became the commercial capital of Northern Europe in the late fourteenth century. He argues that a combination of fortuitous changes, such as the shift to sea-borne commerce and the extraordinary efforts of the city's population, served to shape a great commercial centre. Areas explored include the political history of Bruges, its position as a node and network, the wool, cloth and gold trade, and the role of women in the market. The work serves not only as a case-study in medieval economic history, but also as a social and cultural history of medieval Bruges.