Page 180 - 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. 180
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
A breakdown of the overall data per geo-altitude area (inner moun-
tainous, Adriatic mountainous, internal Adriatic hill and coastal Adriatic
hills) reveals the significant soundness of the inner mountain area with just
two communities in arrears in 1628 and six in 1666, with their fiscal duties
amounting to 7% and 5% of the total respectively.
Graph 7.2: Number of local communities in arrears with the tax authorities.
Abruzzo Citra, 1628
On the other hand, the Adriatic coastal hills, making up around half
the centres, accrued arrears amounting to 37% of the total. This area, boast-
ing a rich agriculture and produce surplus for export (grain, wine and oil)
was dependent on external demand and was affected by the crisis earlier
and to a greater extent than the others. Dependence on demand from out-
side lay behind the area’s vulnerability.
The inner mountain area owes its extraordinary resilience under ad-
verse economic conditions to the transhumance/fine wool combination
that seems to be a decisive variable to cope with the crisis through the eco-
nomic climate of the 17th century. Focus on this strengthens its presence on
the Tavoliere, where the number of flocks and mountain settlements pro-
liferate (Marino 1988, 72–4, 126). On the other hand, the centres on the hill
and plains left the wool market. The concentration process can be read not
only on the territory but even in the configuration of producers among
which the disappearance of the minor ones due to aggregation was record-
178
A breakdown of the overall data per geo-altitude area (inner moun-
tainous, Adriatic mountainous, internal Adriatic hill and coastal Adriatic
hills) reveals the significant soundness of the inner mountain area with just
two communities in arrears in 1628 and six in 1666, with their fiscal duties
amounting to 7% and 5% of the total respectively.
Graph 7.2: Number of local communities in arrears with the tax authorities.
Abruzzo Citra, 1628
On the other hand, the Adriatic coastal hills, making up around half
the centres, accrued arrears amounting to 37% of the total. This area, boast-
ing a rich agriculture and produce surplus for export (grain, wine and oil)
was dependent on external demand and was affected by the crisis earlier
and to a greater extent than the others. Dependence on demand from out-
side lay behind the area’s vulnerability.
The inner mountain area owes its extraordinary resilience under ad-
verse economic conditions to the transhumance/fine wool combination
that seems to be a decisive variable to cope with the crisis through the eco-
nomic climate of the 17th century. Focus on this strengthens its presence on
the Tavoliere, where the number of flocks and mountain settlements pro-
liferate (Marino 1988, 72–4, 126). On the other hand, the centres on the hill
and plains left the wool market. The concentration process can be read not
only on the territory but even in the configuration of producers among
which the disappearance of the minor ones due to aggregation was record-
178
