The Peasant Family in Northern Italy, 1750-1930: a Reassessment

Abstract

Northernmost Italy is a land of great ecological variability, providing a natural laboratory for examining the impact of environmental factors on demography and society. A sharp contrast between mountains and plains was reflected in sharp differences in land tenure and social structure. Differences in access to marriage and in household composition between upland and lowland communities are examined and the impact on family life of economic changes occurring over the period 1750-1930 are explored. Environmental factors are found to play a major role in determining the kind of demographic and family patterns that prevailed.