Today we want to discover this curious story that reunites us with the past, once again we are reunited with horses, carts and territory.
The heavy snowfall of 2010 in Palamós exposed the first section of the old porter's path that runs from the Bell-lloc de Palamós valley to Fitor. The cleanings made it possible to bring to light a cart path. In the past, this route was heavily traveled by ranchers, coal miners, lumberjacks and especially porters. They used it to move all kinds of goods with carts and horses. The road became an essential route to access Gavarres and other inland towns.
Carts and horses, the past of the territory. It is where we come from, stories of porters, carts and trades
The research following the discovery of this route has made it possible to learn about the anecdotes and adventures of the porters who frequented the road. In Palamós there were some who worked as drivers all year round and others who did so temporarily. Many of these porters were also peasants, farmers, menstrals or bracers. By having the necessary means to carry out the transport (a donkey, a mule or a cart), they carried out this work and this allowed them to earn an extra salary.
Usually, they paid for the journey made or for quarters or sums transported, that is Lump.
The main clients of the palamos porters of the time were, first of all, the General Commissioner of Timber who coordinated the transfer of felled trees. The trees arrived in Palamós from various parts of the region to board Neapolitan ships. Porters loaded these pieces of wood, usually oak, and drove them to the port where they were sold. However, it was hard work and not without problems. On July 18, 1770, the door of the house that Domingo Carles had in Sant Joan de Palamós was smashed by a piece of wood. The piece had fallen from the cart of the coachman Francesc Mons while he was maneuvering his horse. In the end, the poor porter was the one who had to pay for the damages.
The transport of products derived from the work of cork and coal from Les Gavarres was also frequent.
If you want to discover many more curiosities, download this interesting article by Gabriel Martí Roig:
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