During the Eighteenth century the Kingdom of Naples engaged a bitter dispute with its more powerful commercial partners, in order to strengthen the consistency of its maritime border as a fiscal barrier by redefining the rules of ships’ landing. The aim of the new independent monarchy was to re-examine the exemption of foreign flags by the so-called “right of visit”, that the European monarchies claimed as a result of the Ancient Spanish treaties. The quarrel was never solved through formal agreements and the rules of ships’ landing remained fluid and undefined because of the legal pluralism which dominated the realm of trade and customs. While the conflict resolution was negotiated according to circumstances, smuggling was considered
