Oferta y consumo de tejidos en Cataluña en la segunda mitad del siglo XVII1

The aim ot this paper is to contribute to the study of textile consumption patterns in Catalonia during the second half of the XVIIth century. We have used the records of a tax placed on the production and trade of woollens and silk fabrics. We have examined the characteristics of both, supply and demand. On the demand side, the records indicate the people's preferences in the consumption of wool and silk textiles. On to supply, we concentrated on the variety of the merchandise, and also on the differences between shops located in Barcelona and in other catalan villages. The results reveal the existence of specialized shops in the distribution of imported textiles. Furthermore, this documentation allowed us to measure the weight that both, domestic and imported goods, had in the supply of the botigues, and to know about the turnover rate of the stock.