Financial center of Europe in 1400s

[Phidippides]

Which do you think was a greater center of finance in Europe in the 15th century - Flanders, or Medician Florence (or some place else)?

[scout1067]

What about the cities of the Hansa?  They were huge financial speculators and lenders.

[Phidippides]

The "Hanseatic League" I had heard of, but not "Hansa"...is this town in Germany or some other part of northern Europe?

I'm thinking that since Cosimo de' Medici made his bank international in scope at an early time (1430s or so), Florence would have had much importance to all of Europe.  On the other hand, Flanders was also wealthy during this time, and we see the development of modern capitalist phenomena there (e.g. a stock exchange in Antwerp c. 1460).  Perhaps Hansa was under the control of the same Burgundians who controlled Flanders?

[scout1067]

The Hansa (more properly Hanse) cities and the English Hanseatic League are/were the same thing.