Tolls on the Rhône, c. 630

When commerce of a migratory nature began to develop in the seventh century tolls were fixed among the Visigoths and Franks. Most of the merchants were Jews and other Orientals, and their highways were the rivers on which there were regular ports throughout France. The places where tolls were collected on the Rhone are mentioned here.

And now he granted from the special toll, which was sent annually to him from Marseilles, one hundred solidi for the lights of that church, so that the royal agents should, for the future, purchase oil carefully, as if for the needs of the king, according to the order of the market, and then give it to the priests of that place every year. And, further, he was careful to confirm his order, so that just as was done at Marseilles, so also the toll on every sixth load should be paid at Valence, Bouches-du-Rhone, and Lyons, or wherever else there was trade up to the place where they approached the church.

Source:

J. P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae Cursus Completus, (Paris, 1862), Vol . XCVI, p. 1402; reprinted in Roy C. Cave & Herbert H. Coulson, A Source Book for Medieval Economic History, (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1936; reprint ed., New York: Biblo & Tannen, 1965), pp. 398-399.

Scanned by Jerome S. Arkenberg, Cal. State Fullerton. The text has been modernized by Prof. Arkenberg.

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