Page 113 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 113
integr ated peasant economy in friuli (16th–18th centuries)
entire territory had disappeared. The most evident fact was the discontin-
uation of the Linussio textile factory in Tolmezzo, which had been one of
the most important productive establishments in the Venetian mainland.
Both internal and external factors, therefore, affected the radical
change of the economy of the Friulian mountains during that period.
Among the solutions adopted by the local population, in order to face this
radical transformation were both the intensification of agriculture (in par-
ticular an increase in the number of livestock: Fornasin 2011) and a closer
bond between professions and resources (namely, forests and pastures).10
Conclusions
In this paper we engaged in an analysis of Friuli’s economic history throu-
gh the interpretative instrument of the integrated peasant economy. What
emerged from our analysis is that the features necessary to favour its deve-
lopment in this territory were largely present in the mountains rather than
on the plain. The degree of individual freedom was relatively higher in the
mountains, while it was lower in the villages on the plain. In the latter, fle-
xibility was higher both on an individual and on a collective level. The most
suitable ‘environment’ for the integrated peasant economy included the vil-
lages in the mountains where, in addition to the migrant activities linked
to weaving and trade, there was also a manufacturing production linked to
the territory. Also when the analysis goes down to the household level, the
mountains prove to be a much more favourable ‘environment’ to the deve-
lopment of the integrated peasant economy.
After the economic transformations taking place between the end of
the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, also within the con-
text of the mountains the ‘environmental’ favourable conditions started to
disappear and the adherence to that model became less adaptive.
In this logic, therefore, it appears to us that it is possible to talk about
integrated peasant economy regardless of the degree of importance of the
agriculture. For example, in the Carnia case, agriculture played a second-
ary role, to the point that only in a few cases it is possible to talk about peas-
ant families (Fornasin 2004). Here agriculture merely contributed to com-
plementing the income, and never played a main role in the economy.
The modernisation – or, rather, the ‘big transformation’ – which af-
fected the entire Friulian territory starting with the end of the 18th century,
10 We intend to deal further with this bond, more or less close in the different alpine re-
gions of the Friulian area, in the near future (see Lorenzini 2015).
111
entire territory had disappeared. The most evident fact was the discontin-
uation of the Linussio textile factory in Tolmezzo, which had been one of
the most important productive establishments in the Venetian mainland.
Both internal and external factors, therefore, affected the radical
change of the economy of the Friulian mountains during that period.
Among the solutions adopted by the local population, in order to face this
radical transformation were both the intensification of agriculture (in par-
ticular an increase in the number of livestock: Fornasin 2011) and a closer
bond between professions and resources (namely, forests and pastures).10
Conclusions
In this paper we engaged in an analysis of Friuli’s economic history throu-
gh the interpretative instrument of the integrated peasant economy. What
emerged from our analysis is that the features necessary to favour its deve-
lopment in this territory were largely present in the mountains rather than
on the plain. The degree of individual freedom was relatively higher in the
mountains, while it was lower in the villages on the plain. In the latter, fle-
xibility was higher both on an individual and on a collective level. The most
suitable ‘environment’ for the integrated peasant economy included the vil-
lages in the mountains where, in addition to the migrant activities linked
to weaving and trade, there was also a manufacturing production linked to
the territory. Also when the analysis goes down to the household level, the
mountains prove to be a much more favourable ‘environment’ to the deve-
lopment of the integrated peasant economy.
After the economic transformations taking place between the end of
the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, also within the con-
text of the mountains the ‘environmental’ favourable conditions started to
disappear and the adherence to that model became less adaptive.
In this logic, therefore, it appears to us that it is possible to talk about
integrated peasant economy regardless of the degree of importance of the
agriculture. For example, in the Carnia case, agriculture played a second-
ary role, to the point that only in a few cases it is possible to talk about peas-
ant families (Fornasin 2004). Here agriculture merely contributed to com-
plementing the income, and never played a main role in the economy.
The modernisation – or, rather, the ‘big transformation’ – which af-
fected the entire Friulian territory starting with the end of the 18th century,
10 We intend to deal further with this bond, more or less close in the different alpine re-
gions of the Friulian area, in the near future (see Lorenzini 2015).
111
