Page 223 - 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. 223
peasant population and income integration: the case of the trieste port-town ...
The demographic development of the Triestine karstic district fol-
lowed the general demographic trends over time. At the same time it was
influenced by the development of the port and the Trieste urban agglomer-
ate. One aspect of this incidence was the change in the distribution of the
population in the 18th century (Table 9.4). As stated, in the previous phases
the population was concentrated in the north-western part of the district.
At the mid-17th century 60% of the population lived in the villages of Križ,
Prosek and Kontovel, though the settlements in the central and the east-
ern part of the district had risen compared to the 16th century. In the sec-
ond half of the 18th century the population of this part increased to 55% of
the district. This change can be defined as a structural one.
The population in the karstic district of Trieste were peasants and
farming was for the majority the primary economic activity over the whole
period considered. The peasants were mostly small landowners and their
farms were constituted by different plots of land. The farms were mostly
conducted by involving the family labour force. The relatively richer house-
holds had servants (in 1778 only 13% of the families, which employed on the
average 1 male or female servant, Kalc 2009). The western villages includ-
ed, as mentioned, land on the karst plateau and especially on the terraced
slope declining towards the sea, where intensive viticulture was tradition-
ally present. The vine and partly the olive oil constituted the basis of a lively
market economy. The wine here was the finest produced in the Trieste ter-
ritory, it was sold in the city and exported abroad. Moreover, Trieste wine
benefited from a regime of protection, aimed at supporting the local pro-
ducers because of higher production costs. No imported wine was allowed
until the wine produced in the Trieste municipal area had been consumed
or sold (Kalc 2005). The three western villages had also a very favourable lo-
cation along the road towards Friuli and Italy. In addition, in Križ and Kon-
tovel a traditional source of income was fishery (Volpi Lisjak 1995).
The peasant economy in the central and eastern part of the karstic dis-
trict of Trieste did not include more profitable agrarian cultures. Some vil-
lages had small viticultural areas and some villagers cultivated hired vine-
yards in the lower flysch area. However, the vast majority of the land at
their disposal was karstic and the agrarian economy was limited to field
crops and livestock. In older times this consisted primarily of sheep-breed-
ing, then of cattle farming for milk production. Thanks to the proximity of
the city, the peasants also had the opportunity of selling products and in-
tegrating their income by offering services or participating in the urban la-
221
The demographic development of the Triestine karstic district fol-
lowed the general demographic trends over time. At the same time it was
influenced by the development of the port and the Trieste urban agglomer-
ate. One aspect of this incidence was the change in the distribution of the
population in the 18th century (Table 9.4). As stated, in the previous phases
the population was concentrated in the north-western part of the district.
At the mid-17th century 60% of the population lived in the villages of Križ,
Prosek and Kontovel, though the settlements in the central and the east-
ern part of the district had risen compared to the 16th century. In the sec-
ond half of the 18th century the population of this part increased to 55% of
the district. This change can be defined as a structural one.
The population in the karstic district of Trieste were peasants and
farming was for the majority the primary economic activity over the whole
period considered. The peasants were mostly small landowners and their
farms were constituted by different plots of land. The farms were mostly
conducted by involving the family labour force. The relatively richer house-
holds had servants (in 1778 only 13% of the families, which employed on the
average 1 male or female servant, Kalc 2009). The western villages includ-
ed, as mentioned, land on the karst plateau and especially on the terraced
slope declining towards the sea, where intensive viticulture was tradition-
ally present. The vine and partly the olive oil constituted the basis of a lively
market economy. The wine here was the finest produced in the Trieste ter-
ritory, it was sold in the city and exported abroad. Moreover, Trieste wine
benefited from a regime of protection, aimed at supporting the local pro-
ducers because of higher production costs. No imported wine was allowed
until the wine produced in the Trieste municipal area had been consumed
or sold (Kalc 2005). The three western villages had also a very favourable lo-
cation along the road towards Friuli and Italy. In addition, in Križ and Kon-
tovel a traditional source of income was fishery (Volpi Lisjak 1995).
The peasant economy in the central and eastern part of the karstic dis-
trict of Trieste did not include more profitable agrarian cultures. Some vil-
lages had small viticultural areas and some villagers cultivated hired vine-
yards in the lower flysch area. However, the vast majority of the land at
their disposal was karstic and the agrarian economy was limited to field
crops and livestock. In older times this consisted primarily of sheep-breed-
ing, then of cattle farming for milk production. Thanks to the proximity of
the city, the peasants also had the opportunity of selling products and in-
tegrating their income by offering services or participating in the urban la-
221
