Sailing through history: the legacy of medieval sea trade on migrant perception and extreme right voting
研究意大利中世纪地中海贸易港口周边地区，发现当地居民更少将移民视为安全威胁、更少支持极右翼政党，且在2015年叙利亚难民潮期间仇外攻击更少，揭示了历史贸易塑造的开放文化特质对当代政治态度的持久影响。
Abstract This study evaluates whether exposure of local areas to medieval Mediterranean trade with Africa and the Middle East still shapes Italian political attitudes. Such exchanges may have fostered cultural traits that eased interaction with people of different cultures, ethnicities, and religions. We show that individuals living near a medieval port are less likely to view migrants as a security threat or to report right-wing voting preferences; these areas also had fewer xenophobic attacks during the 2015 Syrian refugee surge. We also find that right-wing parties received fewer votes near medieval ports only when immigration was highly salient. Finally, we document a lower probability of Jewish deportations near medieval ports during the Nazi occupation, the only period when a minority group was explicitly targeted. This suggests that deep-rooted cultural traits can re-emerge when historical and political conditions make them relevant.