Page 74 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 74
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
rest near the Snežnik plateau” and could not praise “the healthy wine of
Lower Carniola” highly enough (Valvasor 2009–2013 174, 188–92, 223). He
made special mention of the woodenware craft in the areas of Ribnica and
Kočevje, and the transport via Cerknica towards Ljubljana and towards the
sea. Goods were not transported only by land; they also rafted cargo along
the Sava River, which carried cargo from Styria, Lower Carniola and Croa-
tia. In the region of Lower Carniola (Dolenjska), as he had in Upper Carni-
ola, Valvasor recorded that some villages specialised in one or more activi-
ties. For example, in the village of Šmartno, there were “many carriers and
different kinds of craftsmen, especially tanners who made black leather.
The village of Perišče is named after the laundresses (perice), women who
bleached the laundry. Women would go to Ljubljana every week to collect
dirty linen and wash it. They would also bleach a lot of linen fabric and li-
nen yarn” (Valvasor 2009–2013, 180–1, 218–9).
As can be discerned from Valvasor’s descriptions, the area in ques-
tion was very active as regards crafts and transport. The latter is especial-
ly typical of the vicinity of the Cerknica Valley, which is connected with
the transport in the Karst and Inner Carniola towards coastal towns or the
hinterland, which has already been discussed. Namely, a traffic road led
from Novo mesto towards Inner Carniola via the village of Rašica. An even
more important transport connection ran through Novo mesto from Lju-
bljana towards the Croatian city of Zagreb (Gestrin 1991, 105–6; Kosi 1998,
235); subjects from White Carniola and the Kočevje area joined the peasant
trade towards the town of Rijeka (Gestrin 1972, 57). As mentioned by Val-
vasor, trade was also conducted along the Sava River, on which they rafted
“all of the merchandise from Croatia, and some of the merchandise from
Styria and Lower Carniola, towards Ljubljana” (Valvasor 2009–2013, 158).
Boating “was for most boatmen a side job, which they performed when they
did not have to work on their own farm or in a manor” (Umek 1999, 276).
Peasants would therefore integrate their income from agriculture with in-
come from trade and boating; within the borders of the Višnja Gora mano-
rial court (Landgericht) they would also integrate it with income from the
lease of tollhouses. In the 16th and 17th century, the rural, “smaller tollhouses
were generally leased by peasants,” whereas in the small town of Litija they
were leased by its inhabitants and magistrates (Golec 1995, 84).
Like most of the previously described regions, the present-day region
of Dolenjska was a wine-growing region in modern times. There, peas-
ants would work the vineyards either as subjects or as tenants of “moun-
72
rest near the Snežnik plateau” and could not praise “the healthy wine of
Lower Carniola” highly enough (Valvasor 2009–2013 174, 188–92, 223). He
made special mention of the woodenware craft in the areas of Ribnica and
Kočevje, and the transport via Cerknica towards Ljubljana and towards the
sea. Goods were not transported only by land; they also rafted cargo along
the Sava River, which carried cargo from Styria, Lower Carniola and Croa-
tia. In the region of Lower Carniola (Dolenjska), as he had in Upper Carni-
ola, Valvasor recorded that some villages specialised in one or more activi-
ties. For example, in the village of Šmartno, there were “many carriers and
different kinds of craftsmen, especially tanners who made black leather.
The village of Perišče is named after the laundresses (perice), women who
bleached the laundry. Women would go to Ljubljana every week to collect
dirty linen and wash it. They would also bleach a lot of linen fabric and li-
nen yarn” (Valvasor 2009–2013, 180–1, 218–9).
As can be discerned from Valvasor’s descriptions, the area in ques-
tion was very active as regards crafts and transport. The latter is especial-
ly typical of the vicinity of the Cerknica Valley, which is connected with
the transport in the Karst and Inner Carniola towards coastal towns or the
hinterland, which has already been discussed. Namely, a traffic road led
from Novo mesto towards Inner Carniola via the village of Rašica. An even
more important transport connection ran through Novo mesto from Lju-
bljana towards the Croatian city of Zagreb (Gestrin 1991, 105–6; Kosi 1998,
235); subjects from White Carniola and the Kočevje area joined the peasant
trade towards the town of Rijeka (Gestrin 1972, 57). As mentioned by Val-
vasor, trade was also conducted along the Sava River, on which they rafted
“all of the merchandise from Croatia, and some of the merchandise from
Styria and Lower Carniola, towards Ljubljana” (Valvasor 2009–2013, 158).
Boating “was for most boatmen a side job, which they performed when they
did not have to work on their own farm or in a manor” (Umek 1999, 276).
Peasants would therefore integrate their income from agriculture with in-
come from trade and boating; within the borders of the Višnja Gora mano-
rial court (Landgericht) they would also integrate it with income from the
lease of tollhouses. In the 16th and 17th century, the rural, “smaller tollhouses
were generally leased by peasants,” whereas in the small town of Litija they
were leased by its inhabitants and magistrates (Golec 1995, 84).
Like most of the previously described regions, the present-day region
of Dolenjska was a wine-growing region in modern times. There, peas-
ants would work the vineyards either as subjects or as tenants of “moun-
72
