Calamities And The Economy In Renaissance Italy: The Grand Tour Of The Horsemen Of The Apocalypse (early Modern History: Society And Culture)

"Italy faced a number of catastrophes in the long sixteenth century. This economic and demographic history follows the consequences of these catastrophes - the action of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse - War, Famine and Plague, all followed by Death. Guido Alfani considers the short-term effects of the calamities affecting Renaissance Italy as well as the impact they had, in the medium- and long-term, on the general economic and demographic trend of the peninsula. The calamities are shown to be not only the source of destruction, but also the cause of a significant redistribution of population and wealth; in other words, they produced winners as well as losers. This overall picture of the economic conditions of Italy in the late Renaissance challenges the received wisdom that suggests, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Italian economy was still healthy, innovating and dynamic."--Publisher's website. Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 List of Figures and Tables......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 11 Epigraph......Page 13 Introduction......Page 14 1 War......Page 25 The Italian Wars, 1494–1559: an overview of the main events......Page 26 Damage to human capital: battles and sieges......Page 31 The tragedy of the 'useless mouths'......Page 36 The sack of the cities......Page 40 The long-term consequences of war: the case of Ivrea......Page 42 Damage in rural areas......Page 45 Who paid for the Italian Wars? Items for a balance sheet......Page 47 2 Famine......Page 55 The complex interaction between Famine, War and Plague......Page 56 Dearth, hunger and famine: definitions and the development of extreme hunger......Page 59 Hunger and famine in the years of the Italian Wars......Page 63 The great famine of the late sixteenth century, 1590–93......Page 69 The famine in rural areas: the case of Nonantola......Page 78 Provisioning of cereals, annone and the bread market: successes, difficulties and institutional failures......Page 83 3 Plague......Page 92 The debate on the etiology of the plague and its implications......Page 93 Plague and typhus from the Italian Wars to the Plague of San Carlo of 1575–77......Page 101 The intervention of the public health authorities from the Plague of San Carlo to the epidemics at the end of the sixteenth century......Page 106 Damage to physical and to human capital......Page 114 Consequences for aggregate demand and the labour market......Page 120 An overall appraisal of the biological situation: new diseases and the remission of the plague......Page 122 4 Winners and Losers......Page 125 Redistribution among states......Page 127 Redistribution among communities: the role of institutions and economic opportunities......Page 137 The famine of 1590–93 as a factor of rebalancing......Page 143 Redistribution among socioeconomic groups and individual opportunities......Page 146 5 Population and the Economy: Underlying Trends......Page 149 Lowland, mountain and coastal areas: physical environment and demographic regimes......Page 152 The Alps and Apennines......Page 154 The cities......Page 158 Cities and rural areas......Page 161 A comparison between different rural areas: agrarian innovation and Malthusian traps......Page 163 Population theories put to the test: Malthus and Boserup......Page 169 General demographic trends in northern Italy in the 'long' sixteenth century: a reconstruction......Page 172 1595–1620: an Indian summer or a solid recovery?......Page 178 Conclusion: Towards the Seventeenth Century......Page 182 Appendix 1 Chronology of the principal plagues and famines in Italy, 1470–1627......Page 189 Appendix 2 Births and deaths per region and macro-region, 1550–1628......Page 191 Notes......Page 193 Manuscripts and Printed Sources......Page 233 Bibliography......Page 234 Index......Page 257 Cover 1 Contents 8 List of Figures and Tables 10 Acknowledgements 11 Epigraph 13 Introduction 14 1 War 25 The Italian Wars, 1494–1559: an overview of the main events 26 Damage to human capital: battles and sieges 31 The tragedy of the 'useless mouths' 36 The sack of the cities 40 The long-term consequences of war: the case of Ivrea 42 Damage in rural areas 45 Who paid for the Italian Wars? Items for a balance sheet 47 2 Famine 55 The complex interaction between Famine, War and Plague 56 Dearth, hunger and famine: definitions and the development of extreme hunger 59 Hunger and famine in the years of the Italian Wars 63 The great famine of the late sixteenth century, 1590–93 69 The famine in rural areas: the case of Nonantola 78 Provisioning of cereals, annone and the bread market: successes, difficulties and institutional failures 83 3 Plague 92 The debate on the etiology of the plague and its implications 93 Plague and typhus from the Italian Wars to the Plague of San Carlo of 1575–77 101 The intervention of the public health authorities from the Plague of San Carlo to the epidemics at the end of the sixteenth century 106 Damage to physical and to human capital 114 Consequences for aggregate demand and the labour market 120 An overall appraisal of the biological situation: new diseases and the remission of the plague 122 4 Winners and Losers 125 Redistribution among states 127 Redistribution among communities: the role of institutions and economic opportunities 137 The famine of 1590–93 as a factor of rebalancing 143 Redistribution among socioeconomic groups and individual opportunities 146 5 Population and the Economy: Underlying Trends 149 Lowland, mountain and coastal areas: physical environment and demographic regimes 152 The Alps and Apennines 154 The cities 158 Cities and rural areas 161 A comparison between different rural areas: agrarian innovation and Malthusian traps 163 Population theories put to the test: Malthus and Boserup 169 General demographic trends in northern Italy in the 'long' sixteenth century: a reconstruction 172 1595–1620: an Indian summer or a solid recovery? 178 Conclusion: Towards the Seventeenth Century 182 Appendices 189 Appendix 1 Chronology of the principal plagues and famines in Italy, 1470–1627 189 Appendix 2 Births and deaths per region and macro-region, 1550–1628 191 Notes 193 Manuscripts and Printed Sources 233 Bibliography 234 Index 257