Acre is presented as a commercial and logistical hub linking the Latin states to pilgrims and merchants arriving by land and sea. The kings of Jerusalem claim direct rule over the city instead of granting it as a feudal holding, and Acre ranks with Jaffa as a main port of entry. Artificial harbour walls shelter shipping, while a heavy chain across the entrance protects it from hostile vessels. Venetian sailors receive extensive privileges after helping conquer Tyre, including a self-governing colony and the right to live by their own customs. Baldwin II also has reason to remain on good terms with a fleet that has sacked Byzantine towns, attacked Rhodes, and taken relics from Chios. Those concessions tie Venetian commercial interests to the survival of the crusader states and create an overseas source of military support. The charter's witnesses include Hugh of Payns, the founding master of the Templars.
Chapter · 6:23-9:09
Acre, Venice, and the maritime foundations of crusader power
Dan Jones's history shows how Acre's protected harbour, Venetian shipping, and colonial privileges sustained the Latin East.