Interessi economici e controllo del territorio. La fluitazione del legname nel Piemonte e nella Valle d’Aosta del tardo medioevo

During the Middle Ages the road network was based on a close interaction between roads and waterways. This involved mainly those regions, such as Piedmont and the Aosta Valley, where the abundance of rivers combined with the proximity of mountains provided better conditions for easier navigation. Furthermore, the proximity of alpine forests encouraged a peculiar type of water transport that involved timber floating. This allowed the transportation of one of the most requested and expensive construction materials in the most economic and rapid way available during the Middle Ages. This paper aims to evaluate the role of timber rafting in defining spaces of power in Piedmont and the Aosta Valley during the late centuries of the Middle Ages. The accounting records produced by the counts and dukes of Savoy, combined with the statutes of local communities attest the bargaining between different public authorities for the economic control of water rights.