Guilds

It was not until the 17th and 18th centuries that the guilds lost their privileges more and more to the state.

Guilds were an important part of society in the Middle Ages.

In short, the town market was usually reserved for the citizens of the town, and the policy of the guilds (with occasional exceptions on the part of the great commercial guilds) was to shut the door to all foreign goods which they could produce themselves.