Final answer:
Italian trading towns quarreled over control of trade routes, access to luxury goods, and political dominance, which was exacerbated by external pressures such as the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Italian trading towns began to quarrel over the control of lucrative trade routes, access to luxury goods like spices and silks, and political dominance among themselves. Towns like Genoa, Pisa, and Venice vied for control of the maritime routes, while inland city-states such as Florence also competed for economic power based on their agricultural and textile production. These competitions often extended to political control within the city-states, where merchant classes sought to influence or control local governance to protect and enhance their trade interests.
The rise of other powerful entities, such as the Ottoman Empire, which disrupted traditional trade routes and imposed heavy taxes, also factored into the rivalries as the Italian cities sought new ways to maintain and expand their trade dominance. This led to increased maritime exploration as traders sought direct sea routes to source their goods and bypass overland trade constraints. These quarrels and navigational pursuits paved the way for the Age of Discovery and had a profound impact on global trade networks.