On the salt paths. Properties, resources and economic circuits between Comacchio and Ravenna (9th-10th centuries)

The article deals with the economic, political and social structures of the area between Ravenna and Comacchio, starting from the exploitation of the coastal wetlands, first of all for the production and distribution of salt (not only locally but also towards the internal area of the Kingdom of Italy). The role of the archbishops is reconstructed. They were the main, but not exclusive, heirs of the complex of assets and rights pertaining to the ancient Exarchate, and the main actors in the redistribution of these resources, flanked by the most eminent lay and ecclesiastical subjects on the Ravenna scene. Ample space is given to the political and economic weight of the fiscal assets, widely present in the area, which preserved a persistent public

Automated summary

The article examines the economic, political, and social structures of the region between Ravenna and Comacchio, focusing on the exploitation of coastal wetlands for salt production and distribution. It discusses the role of archbishops as the main inheritors of the ancient Exarchate's assets and rights, and their involvement in redistributing these resources with the support of prominent secular and ecclesiastical figures in Ravenna. The article also explores the political and economic significance of fiscal assets in the area.