Medieval Trade Fairs

The European trade fairs, which thrived in the 12th and 13th centuries, linked the economies of the north with those of the Mediterranean. Especially popular in France, these fairs were held annually, in cities located along ancient land routes, and were governed by an established set of rules known as “merchant laws”.
Textiles, leather, furs, and spices were sold at the fairs, and traders came from all over Europe to display their wares. There were six fairs throughout the year. Each fair lasted six weeks. The schedule, while not firm, generally reserved the first eight days for vendors to set up their sites. The final days, about four, were needed to settle accounts.
From Genoa, it took a month to reach the fair cities. Pack mules crossed the Alps loaded with wares. From Spain, merchants traveled the well-worn pilgrim route from Santiago de Compostela. Well-to-do merchants might hire freight handlers to move the goods to the fair location.
In my October release from Five Star, titled The Tapestry Shop, Catherine visits the Colde Fair in Troyes, where she shops for household goods and visits a fortune teller.
One of the images (above) is of the lower floor of a medieval warehouse in Provins which was rented by merchants during the faire. Goods were stored here, and the displays would have been on the upper floor. In Provins, visitors can see a permanent exhibition (top image) depicting a medieval market.

A Medieval Recipe for Travelers

Two days before Christmas, I got the final edit from the copy-editor at Five Star, for my upcoming book, The Tapestry Shop. At this stage, it has already been edited, and the last copy-editor gives it her nod. I was grateful that the changes were only a few commas and a word or two, so it turned out to be a nice gift after all. This is all to explain why my blog is a bit brief this time, what with being gone and the deadline to return the manuscript.
That said, I promised earlier I would blog from time to time about food, ancient and medieval, so after a nine-hour drive home from spending Christmas with my daughter, I thought this recipe, from a collection of recipes in a cookbook in the Public Domain, sounded like just what I needed. Besides, it’s supposed to work wonders, as the ancient cook promises, giving endurance and strength to a weary traveler.

Honey Refresher for Travelers
Conditum Melizonium1 Viatorium
The wayfarer's honey refresher (so called because it gives endurance and strength to pedestrians)2 with which travelers are refreshed by the wayside is made in this manner: flavor honey with ground pepper and skim. In the moment of serving put honey in a cup, as much as is desired to obtain the right degree of sweetness, and mix with spiced wine not more than a needed quantity; also add some wine to the spiced honey to facilitate its flow and the mixing.

Shoes to Die For

My current work in progress is set in Venice, and since that beautiful city is on my mind, today I'm blogging about shoes. And Oh what shoes! I saw a pair in a museum in Venice. Just looking made my feet hurt.
In early modern Venice, around the mid-fifteenth to mid-sixteenth centuries, the footwear of Venetian women drew the eyes of every visitor downward, and no wonder. Chopines, the impossibly high clogs considered the latest fashion, were worn by any woman who could afford them, usually courtesans or the wealthy, as they were hardly attire for a cleaning woman or baker's daughter.
The shoes were made of wood or cork, with leather or man-made material for the tops. The platforms were frequently decorated with jewels and extravagant designs, and sometimes tassels hung from the toes.
Women wearing chopines had to be supported either by men or servants so the wearer would not slip or fall as they strolled along the Grand Canal to see and be seen.

There is controversy over just where the style of chopines originated; some say it came from China, where the women prided themselves on small feet, an indication of wealth and helplessness. Others argue the fashion came from the Turkish baths, where women wore slightly elevated shoes.
No matter the origin, the fashion eventually died out, and I suppose today spike heels would be considered just as dangerous, especially if strolling on cobbled streets and crossing the Rialto Bridge.
Here's a picture of my daughter and her DH that I snapped from another gondola as we discovered Venice by night. It's a city made for lovers.