Salt in European history

Saltmaking encompasses much of the history of Europe since the Goden Age of Greece. Salt was a commodity of crucial importance economically. Early trade in ancient Greece involving the exchange of salt for slaves gave rise to the expression, "not worth his salt." The Romans were prodigious builders of saltworks as well as other vital infrastructure within their empire. Special salt rations given early Roman soldiers were known as "salarium argentum," the forerunner of the English word "salary." References to salt abound in languages around the globe, particularly regarding salt used for food. From the Latin "sal," for example, comes such other derived words as "sauce," "sausage," "salad," (salted vegetables) and the famous "Via Salaria (one of the great Roman roads used for transporting salt). Medieval European records document saltmaking technologies and concessions. Venice rose to economic greatness through its salt monopoly. Salzburg, Hallstatt, and Hallein lie on the river Salzach in central Austria. Salzach literally means "salt water" and Salzburg "salt city", both taking their names from the Germanic root for salt, salz. Hallstatt literally means "salt town" and Hallein "saltwork", taking their names from "hal" - a root for salt found in Celtic. The tiny town of Hallstatt gave its name to the Celtic culture that began mining for salt in the surrounding mountains around 800 BCE. The town became a European trading center and grew rich bartering salt and salted meat with Ancient Greece and Rome in exchange for wine and other goods.

Further north, Halle is Germany's "Salt City" and an "old salt route" connected German salt mines to shipping ports on the Baltic. Since medieval days, Luneburg has been Germany's "city of salt. Saltmaking was important in the Adriatic/Balkans region as well. Tuzla in the Bosnia-Herzegovina region is actually named for "tuz," the Turkish word for salt. In the United Kingdom, particularly in the Cheshire area salt has always reigned supreme. The Salt Museum or Lion Salt Works, both in Cheshire, are excellent places to visit. Salt became an important starting material for Victorian England's chemical industry. The grand designs of Philip II of Spain came undone through the Dutch Revolt at the end of the 16th Century; one of the keys, being the successful Dutch blockade of Iberian saltworks, which led directly to Spanish bankruptcy. France has always been a major producer of salt, both on its Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. France, in fact, has a "salt road" along its Mediterranean coast. In the flowering of French neo-classicism in the 18th century, "The Ideal City of Chaux" was centered on the royal saltworks there. Any discussion of saltmaking and distribution in France includes discussion of the gabelle, the salt tax which was a significant cause of the French Revolution. In Spain, Basques' intrepid fishermen plied the Grand Banks, producing salt-cod, which became a staple for European markets. Although Russia is known for its Siberian salt mines, saltmaking takes place in many other places throughout the country. Salt mining has a long tradition in Poland. In fact, miners have carved a national treasure in the Wieliczka salt mine near Kracow, This "Salt Cathedral" has long been an object of travelers' interest and even the venue for unforgettable weddings today.