Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Defining Jurisdictional Frameworks for Maritime and Coastal Activities: The Example of the Atlantic Ports of the Kingdom of France in the Second Half of the Middle Ages
- 2 Basque Stevedoring and Cargo Handling Infrastructures (14th–16th Centuries)
- 3 Port Structures and Cargo Handling in Asturias and Galicia (13th–16th Centuries)
- 4 Slave Trade and Northern Portuguese Seaport Operations in the Sixteenth Century
- 5 Transport and Shipping in the Portuguese Northern Border in the Sixteenth Century
- 6 Anchorages, Infrastructures and Stevedoring in Medieval Atlantic Andalusia
- 7 Ports and Port Labour in Tenerife during the Transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age
- Conclusions: The Port Phenomenon of Medieval Atlantic Europe
- Sources and Bibliography
- Index
5 - Transport and Shipping in the Portuguese Northern Border in the Sixteenth Century
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 May 2021
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Contributors
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Defining Jurisdictional Frameworks for Maritime and Coastal Activities: The Example of the Atlantic Ports of the Kingdom of France in the Second Half of the Middle Ages
- 2 Basque Stevedoring and Cargo Handling Infrastructures (14th–16th Centuries)
- 3 Port Structures and Cargo Handling in Asturias and Galicia (13th–16th Centuries)
- 4 Slave Trade and Northern Portuguese Seaport Operations in the Sixteenth Century
- 5 Transport and Shipping in the Portuguese Northern Border in the Sixteenth Century
- 6 Anchorages, Infrastructures and Stevedoring in Medieval Atlantic Andalusia
- 7 Ports and Port Labour in Tenerife during the Transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Age
- Conclusions: The Port Phenomenon of Medieval Atlantic Europe
- Sources and Bibliography
- Index
Summary
ABSTRACT. Commercial relations in the Portuguese northern border has been a fruitful subject in Portuguese and Spanish historiography. A common background concerning natural landscape, population mobility and sharing of resources – the sea and the river – connected both margins of the Minho river and moulded their stories and people. On this matter, we know a lot about product circulation – the importance of salt, wine, fish or textile routes – the seasonality of migrations around labour offers, or the sharing of neighbourhood privileges in each other's towns. However, in what concerns the logistics of transport and shipping, as the operations concerning loading and unloading, there is a lot of work to be done. This chapter aims to approach transport and shipping operations in the Portuguese northern border in the sixteenth century, setting the focus on the seaport of Caminha, and the relations established between border communities. The analysis is settled on detailed empirical work that uses different data sources, such as historical cartography, travel memories and descriptions, appeals to the Crown, customs house records and council minutes. The chapter will assess the following topics: maritime landscape, port infrastructures and navigation constraints; navigation and trade circuits, considering competitive and cooperative behaviour between border communities; and customs and port administration.
A border has the important purpose of creating relationships, allowing territories and communities to establish contact with their neighbours. It defines their interactions of rivalry, exchange or cooperation. Commercial relations along the northern border of Portugal have been a fruitful subject for Portuguese and Spanish historiography. A common setting including the physical environment, the mobility of the population, and shared resources – the sea and the river – connected both margins of the river Minho, shaping their history and people.
Much is known of the circulation of products – the importance of salt, wine, fish, or textile routes – the seasonality of migrations following employment opportunities, or the shared local privileges between towns. There remains, however, much untapped potential for the research of shipping logistics such as cargo handling operations. This chapter aims to approach transport and shipping operations in the Portuguese northern border during the sixteenth century, centred on the seaport of Caminha, and the relations established between border communities.
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- Information
- Ports in the Medieval European AtlanticShipping, Transport and Labour, pp. 99 - 116Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2021