The salt-pans of Koper in the reports of Venetian clerks

Abstract

Due to favourable natural-geographic conditions, salt works were in north-western Istria strongly developed. On the territory of Piran, salt-pans were in the valley of Sečovlje, along the river Fazana in Lucija and along the stream Roja in Strunjan. The smaller salt works in Izola were of local significance; the salt works of Koper extended along Badaševica and Rižana. The insular Koper was on its south side surrounded by the so-called Semedela salt-pans and with the Ankaran-Srmin salt-pans on its northeast. Extracting salt and trading with it was until the end of the 19th century relatively profitable. During the Venetian Republic the Koper residents were selling salt mainly to the hinterland; quite some money came into the commune treasury due to tax on sold salt. Since salt was a state monopoly and the central authorities permanently supervised its production and sale, there are hardly any reports of highest Venetian clerks in Istria (for example the Koper mayors (podestat) and captains or Venetian supervisors (providur) for Istria) in which salt would not be mentioned be that salt production, trading with or smuggling it. Mentioned are also data on salt-pans acreages, salt storehouses and similar.