THE GABELLE

What does La Gabelle mean?

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This was formerly the Royal Salt Tax. This existed during the Middle Ages and modern times. The Gabelle represents, in modern times, about 6% of royal income.

Salt was for a long time the only means of preserving food and was therefore a basic necessity. Salt was used to make salted meats and to dry fish and meat. It was also an indispensable nutrient for livestock. Finally, it was under the Old Regime  used as currency and it even had a function of  salary.  

This is where the word salary was created; payment by salt.

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