The Beginning............
In the middle ages, Italy had an economic bang. They had economic dominance and where at the top of their game. But, when the Roman Empire fell, the economy started to go down. The states Genoa and Venice both had a big position in the Mediterranean sea, where they had access to ports. There, they created a powerful maritime trade. But, the power of the trade began to go down causing Italy to go down with it. Italy lost their connection to the other great powers of Europe and their good fortune was gone.
Source
International Living Publishing Ltd. "Economy of Italy." International Living. International Living Publishing Ltd, 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.