Elements of the Istrian everyday life in late medieval and early modern period: the history of nutrition

Abstract

U radu se razmatra pitanje prehrane istarskog stanovništva s osvrtom na glavne i namirnice koje su činile bazu prehrane u promatranom razdoblju te ih se nastoji povezati s političkom i društvenom situacijom na poluotoku. Krajem srednjeg vijeka i u cjelokupnom razdoblju ranog novog vijeka, istarski je poluotok bio podijeljen između dvije sile – Mletačke Republike koja je gospodarila oko tri četvrtine Poluotoka i Kuće Austrije koja je vladala središnjim djelom Poluotoka, Pazinskom knežijom. Istarski su priobalni gradovi činili bitan dio plovidbenog puta od Levanta prema glavnom središtu Republike – Veneciji, a mletačka se politika prema određenim proizvodima, primjerice soli i žitaricama, duboko odrazila na stanje u Istri. Gubitkom statusa glavnog trgovišta premještanjem plovidbenih putova sa Sredozemlja, pojedina su istarska mjesta zbog mnogih problema zapala u proces opadanja koji se dugoročno odrazio na cjelokupno društveno, gospodarsko i demografsko stanje. Osim pregleda važnih namirnica poput žitarica i njihova glavnog proizvoda – kruha, nabave i skladištenja istih te vina, ulja, povrća i začina, u prvom redu soli čiji je značaj bio od strateške i političke važnosti za Veneciju, u radu se donosi i pregled bitnih odrednica povezanih s kulturom prehrane poput kuhinjskoga pribora te zanimanja vezanih uz proizvodnju i pripremu hrane, s osvrtom na podjelu zanimanja po spolovima. Kroz izvore se nastoji iščitati stratifikacija društvenih slojeva stanovništva prema korištenju određenih vrsta namirnica, u prvom redu vrsta žitarica i mesa. U radu se koriste isključivo objavljeni izvori, i to prvenstveno pravne i gospodarske prirode poput općinskih statuta, računa i popisa podavanja, ali i oporuke i inventari.In the thesis diet-related issues of the Istrian inhabitants are contemplated reflecting the main foods that were at the basis of the diet in the studied period and with a view to link them with the political and social situation on the peninsula. In the late medieval period and throughout the early modern era, the Istrian peninsula was divided between two powers – the Republic of Venice that ruled over three quarters of the peninsula and the House of Austria that ruled the central part of the peninsula, the County of Pazin. Istrian coastal cities were an important part of the sailing route from the Levant to the main hub of the Republic – Venice, whereas the Venetian politics towards certain products, such as salt and cereals for instance, had a deep impact on the situation in Istria. The shifting of sailing routes to the Mediterranean and the consequent loss of their status as the main marketplace, certain Istrian localities, due to many problems, entered in the process of decay that had a long-term effect on the social, economic and demographic situation as a whole. Besides an overview of the main foods like cereals and their main product, namely bread, including the purchase process and warehousing, but also wines, oils, vegetables and spices, salt in the first place, which was of strategic and political importance for Venice, the paper brings also an overview of the essential determinants linked to the culture of eating such as kitchen appliances and occupations related to food production and preparation, with a particular reference to occupations divided by gender. Different sources help decipher the social stratification based on the use of certain types of foods, principally by the type of cereals and meat. Only published sources are used in the thesis, primarily of legal and economic nature, such as municipality statutes, receipts and list of taxes and fees, as well as wills and inventories