CARTERS AT SPOLETO, SAFFRON MERCHANTS AT CAS CIA

AT the beginning of the fifteenth century carters who transported goods and passengers from the city of Spoleto would park their vehicles in the district around Porta Ponzianina, and any passer-by would have noticed that there were many Jews among them. Carters and makers of packsaddles, with the typically Jewish names of Mose, Isacco, and Samuele, hired out their goods and conveyances for a daily or weekly rate. We know the names of at least three Jewish carters and one pack-saddle maker who transported goods or hired out their vehicles at Spoleto between 1422 and 1455. Guglielmo da Foligno had a small cart pulled by three nags which he often rented out to the municipality. Two other carters, Deodato di Elia and Mosè, each owned a one-horse cart and transported goods and foodstuffs with a tariff of 10 soldi per day or 3 lire a week. The pack-saddle-maker was Benedetto da Temi, whose workshop was near Porta Ponzianina. Other Jewish carters plied their trade in Assisi at this same period; for example, we have the deed of partnership of a firm of Jewish carters signed at Perugia in 1461. This firm, which was to work both within the city and contado of Perugia and outside it, was made up of Manuello di Guglielmo da Montefalco and Dattilo di Manuele di Iesi, who had purchased a horse and vehicle for the sum of 4 ducats and committed themselves to dividing the profits equally, once the expenses of the horse's fodder and care had been subtracted. Usually the carters accompanied the vehicle and goods to their destination. The most usual route began outside Porta Ponzianina at Spoleto and climbed towards Vallo di Nera, which was a natural junction for anyone wanting to continue along the via Nursina towards Cerreto-dominating the upper Valnerina-and reach the three bridges over the Nera at Triponzo. Here the road, whose hairpin bends led up towards Cascia and Norcia divided, one branch passing through Sellano and climbing towards the upland plain of Colfiorito whose strategic position dominated the Marches and Ravenna. Here it met up with the via Plestina running from Foligno towards the duchy of Camerino. The other branch carried on along the bed of the Nera beyond the walled village of Triponzo, and led to Visso and Tolentino in the Marches.