Land and Economy in Baroque Italy: Valpolicella, 1630-1797 - Hardcover

This is a total economic history of the Valpolicella region of north eastern Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries. Drawing on the detailed and extensive research of local government, law and church in the region, Peter Musgrave has written on account of the agricultural, industrial and commercial life of the Venetian "terra firma" which is one of the first to take an "Annaliste", structural approach to Italian history. Concentrating on the thoughts and beliefs - the mentalities of the middle ranks of society outside the ancient and powerful cities, the author describes and analyzes their lives and life-strategies. He demonstrates that this part of Italy at this time is a perfect example of a society so healthy, prosperous and fair that it was not driven to the extremity of industrialization: the Industrial Revolution was forced upon the less happy countries of Northern Europe by economic and social crisis. In this way, Musgrave offers a critique of the idea of "progress", especially of the inevitability and value of the Industrial Revolution.