Page 378 - 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. 378
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
Introduction: aim and topics and sources used
The aim of this paper is to illustrate the strategies followed, from the end of
the 18th century to the early 20th century, by the families of the Lombard Al-
pine villages who were able to ensure the subsistence of their members. The
analysed period is very important because it was characterised by some re-
levant changes concerning the institutions which strongly influenced the
society and the economy of the Lombard valleys. Because of these changes,
household income strategies underwent a dramatic transformation. It was
especially the case of the Integrated Peasant Economy (hereafter IPE) whi-
ch had allowed, for many centuries, the Lombard Alpine families to main-
tain the economic equilibrium. The IPE, and in general all strategies which
permitted to integrate the scarce income sources of most of the Alpine fa-
milies, fell into an irreversible crisis and provoked the loss of the traditional
economic equilibrium. The economy and the demographic balance in a lot
of Lombard valleys were strongly influenced in a negative way and only in
a few valleys was it possible to maintain the usual conditions and progressi-
vely increase the inhabitants’ quality of life.
Until this crisis, the mountains (which cover a relevant part of Lom-
bardy) were able to maintain a high population density. At the end of the
18th century in a lot of Lombard valleys (in particular in the lower ones of
the eastern Lombardy) it overcame 65 inhabitants per km² and so it was
higher than that of Belgium (41), the Low Countries (51) and England (61).
At the beginning of the 20th century the population density remained at
that level in a few valleys (in particular where some industrial districts had
been created), but there existed a lot of valleys (in particular the highest
ones) where the inhabitants were reduced to a third.1 That’s why this paper
also allows us to understand why the break of the equilibrium did not pro-
voke the same effects everywhere.
The analysis of the Lombard case is important because it was the case
of a region which, from the Middle Ages onwards, belonged to the most de-
veloped and urbanised area of Europe. We may also mention the very ear-
ly construction of a complex irrigation system on the Lombard plain, that
enabled artificial meadows, intensive agriculture (comprising rice), and an-
imal husbandry. It is therefore worthy of note to understand how the IPE
works in such a region and the consequences of the Lombard industrial
1 About the economical, demographical and social conditions of the Lombard Alpine
valleys during the analysed period see: Romani 1950; Merzario 1981; Mocarelli 1995;
1997; Besana 1997; Colli 1997; Marchesi 2003; Tedeschi 2001; 2002; 2007.
376
Introduction: aim and topics and sources used
The aim of this paper is to illustrate the strategies followed, from the end of
the 18th century to the early 20th century, by the families of the Lombard Al-
pine villages who were able to ensure the subsistence of their members. The
analysed period is very important because it was characterised by some re-
levant changes concerning the institutions which strongly influenced the
society and the economy of the Lombard valleys. Because of these changes,
household income strategies underwent a dramatic transformation. It was
especially the case of the Integrated Peasant Economy (hereafter IPE) whi-
ch had allowed, for many centuries, the Lombard Alpine families to main-
tain the economic equilibrium. The IPE, and in general all strategies which
permitted to integrate the scarce income sources of most of the Alpine fa-
milies, fell into an irreversible crisis and provoked the loss of the traditional
economic equilibrium. The economy and the demographic balance in a lot
of Lombard valleys were strongly influenced in a negative way and only in
a few valleys was it possible to maintain the usual conditions and progressi-
vely increase the inhabitants’ quality of life.
Until this crisis, the mountains (which cover a relevant part of Lom-
bardy) were able to maintain a high population density. At the end of the
18th century in a lot of Lombard valleys (in particular in the lower ones of
the eastern Lombardy) it overcame 65 inhabitants per km² and so it was
higher than that of Belgium (41), the Low Countries (51) and England (61).
At the beginning of the 20th century the population density remained at
that level in a few valleys (in particular where some industrial districts had
been created), but there existed a lot of valleys (in particular the highest
ones) where the inhabitants were reduced to a third.1 That’s why this paper
also allows us to understand why the break of the equilibrium did not pro-
voke the same effects everywhere.
The analysis of the Lombard case is important because it was the case
of a region which, from the Middle Ages onwards, belonged to the most de-
veloped and urbanised area of Europe. We may also mention the very ear-
ly construction of a complex irrigation system on the Lombard plain, that
enabled artificial meadows, intensive agriculture (comprising rice), and an-
imal husbandry. It is therefore worthy of note to understand how the IPE
works in such a region and the consequences of the Lombard industrial
1 About the economical, demographical and social conditions of the Lombard Alpine
valleys during the analysed period see: Romani 1950; Merzario 1981; Mocarelli 1995;
1997; Besana 1997; Colli 1997; Marchesi 2003; Tedeschi 2001; 2002; 2007.
376
