El Transporte Terrestre a través de la Cordillera Cantábrica en Tiempos de Felipe II. Un Estudio a partir de la Correspondencia de Simón Ruiz con Laredo

Abstract

This paper analyzes the conditions and cost of ground transportation in times of Felipe II in the field of commercial between Castile and the North Atlantic area, based on information provided by the business letters belonging the merchant Simón Ruiz. The data indicate that the geographical difficulties were not as decisive for the traffic through the Cantabrian Mountains range as it had been thought so far. The article also deals with the subject of the costs that moving goods from ports to inland markets entailed. The sources make it possible a detailed analysis of those cost as well as an estimate of the amount in proportion to the total sum of the operation, giving less importance to them, which would help ground transportation of goods for relatively long distances.