The hazards of navigation - Portraits of the Loire during the Renaissance 3/6

During the Renaissance, the Loire was effectively a motorway – a major communication artery for the country's transport and trade. Myriad boats and stakeholders used the river and there were many navigational challenges.  

One particular corporation, the "Communauté des Marchands fréquentant la rivière de Loire et fleuves descendant en icelle" served as a kind of federation for the maintenance of the channel, the signage system, known as “balisage”, and the management of tolls. It regulated compensatory payments and defended the interests of its members.