Page 380 - 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. 380
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
So the success of the IPE in the Alpine villages helped both the lives of the
local families and the prosperity and wealth of the whole region.5
Concerning the sources used in this paper it is important to note that
the study is based on various types of sources related both to the analysed
period and the territory. For the valleys of Eastern Lombardy both docu-
ments in archives and the existing literature were used, while for the other
valleys a wide bibliography is already available and allowed to enlarge this
contribution to a regional level.6 In doing so this paper also permits to re-
alise interesting comparisons with other Alpine regions and, more in gen-
eral, other upland areas.
1. The relevance of household income strategies
for the economy of the Lombard valleys
In the Lombard valleys, the agriculture alone could not guarantee the sur-
vival of the numerous inhabitants, despite the fact that there were signifi-
cant resources for animal farming and for exploiting wood and that the lit-
tle soil available was farmed intensively for growing cereals and some other
specialised crops. It was necessary therefore, to resort to other additional
activities, often carried out in close connection with the needs and rhythms
of agriculture.
For the Alpine economy the solutions to compensate for the lack of
earnings and food could be represented by migrant work, by the setting
up locally of manufacturing activities and in particular by resorting to the
IPE. This last one had been, for many centuries, the main system used to
maintain the economic and financial equilibrium of the Alpine families
and so the possibility to guarantee food for all their members (that is a
poor, but decent life). At the same time, the IPE allowed for seasonal emi-
gration on the plain or in the main Italian sea-ports, obviously maintain-
5 About the household income strategies in the Alps and the mobility of Alpine peo-
ple who could become real entrepreneurs see: Villani 1989; Coppola 1991; Fontana,
Leonardi and Trezzi 1998; Mocarelli 2003; Panjek 2015; Tedeschi 2015.
6 For the sources in archives see: ASB, IRDP, bb. 3896-3897, 4198-4200; Notarile di Bre-
scia, bb. 14558-14650, 15093-15101, 14836, 14992-15009, 15074, 15093-15100, 15429;
Notarile di Salò, bb. 2558, 2585-2586; Petizioni d’estimo, bb. 145-148, 233-236, 239-
241, 244-273, 282-291, 331, 337-343, 348, 412-413, 447-448, 451, 454, 457-458, 460-
478, 481, 487-488, 490-495, 504-506, 518-521, 526-529, 533-558, 560-562, 588-589,
604, 608-611, 631-632, 651-652, 667-668, 678-679, 686-689, 694-700, 708-710; ASM,
Agricoltura p.m., bb. 1-4, 13, 22; Catasto Lombardo-Veneto, bb. 9943-9969, 10120-
10154, 12157, 12168, 12193, 12199, 12200-12203. Concerning the bibliography see the
previous footnotes.
378
So the success of the IPE in the Alpine villages helped both the lives of the
local families and the prosperity and wealth of the whole region.5
Concerning the sources used in this paper it is important to note that
the study is based on various types of sources related both to the analysed
period and the territory. For the valleys of Eastern Lombardy both docu-
ments in archives and the existing literature were used, while for the other
valleys a wide bibliography is already available and allowed to enlarge this
contribution to a regional level.6 In doing so this paper also permits to re-
alise interesting comparisons with other Alpine regions and, more in gen-
eral, other upland areas.
1. The relevance of household income strategies
for the economy of the Lombard valleys
In the Lombard valleys, the agriculture alone could not guarantee the sur-
vival of the numerous inhabitants, despite the fact that there were signifi-
cant resources for animal farming and for exploiting wood and that the lit-
tle soil available was farmed intensively for growing cereals and some other
specialised crops. It was necessary therefore, to resort to other additional
activities, often carried out in close connection with the needs and rhythms
of agriculture.
For the Alpine economy the solutions to compensate for the lack of
earnings and food could be represented by migrant work, by the setting
up locally of manufacturing activities and in particular by resorting to the
IPE. This last one had been, for many centuries, the main system used to
maintain the economic and financial equilibrium of the Alpine families
and so the possibility to guarantee food for all their members (that is a
poor, but decent life). At the same time, the IPE allowed for seasonal emi-
gration on the plain or in the main Italian sea-ports, obviously maintain-
5 About the household income strategies in the Alps and the mobility of Alpine peo-
ple who could become real entrepreneurs see: Villani 1989; Coppola 1991; Fontana,
Leonardi and Trezzi 1998; Mocarelli 2003; Panjek 2015; Tedeschi 2015.
6 For the sources in archives see: ASB, IRDP, bb. 3896-3897, 4198-4200; Notarile di Bre-
scia, bb. 14558-14650, 15093-15101, 14836, 14992-15009, 15074, 15093-15100, 15429;
Notarile di Salò, bb. 2558, 2585-2586; Petizioni d’estimo, bb. 145-148, 233-236, 239-
241, 244-273, 282-291, 331, 337-343, 348, 412-413, 447-448, 451, 454, 457-458, 460-
478, 481, 487-488, 490-495, 504-506, 518-521, 526-529, 533-558, 560-562, 588-589,
604, 608-611, 631-632, 651-652, 667-668, 678-679, 686-689, 694-700, 708-710; ASM,
Agricoltura p.m., bb. 1-4, 13, 22; Catasto Lombardo-Veneto, bb. 9943-9969, 10120-
10154, 12157, 12168, 12193, 12199, 12200-12203. Concerning the bibliography see the
previous footnotes.
378
