European Horse-Cart Transport Network

Timeline

1. c. 1000–1130Northern Italy and Champagne in France · FranceLocal lords and monasteries maintained passable wheeled ruts along surviving stretches of Roman roads, with carts and ox-carts handling inland transport of grain, wool, and salt.
2. c. 1141–1150Champagne fairs and North Sea ports · FlandersIn the 1140s, fixed cart routes formed between the regular Champagne fairs and North Sea ports, carrying cloth, metalware, and imported goods, with the overland network complementing sea transport.
3. c. 1200–1300North–south trade routes of Germany · GermanyIn the thirteenth century, town leagues set toll gates and relay stations along major trade routes, regulating cart loads and passage tolls, and driving overland transport from spontaneous market routes toward an institutionalized network.