Changes in Rural Society: Piedmont and Sicily

Synopsis: Land use maps in the Italian state archives in Turin archives are used to research social and economic conditions in the regions of Piedmont - the hilly Langhe with sparse mixed farming, the flat Po valley, and the Vercellesi with large rice farms. By contrast, Sicily hasfew archives in which to trace pre-unification conditions. After unification, the steady economic decline and rising population in rural Sicily contributed to the change in the social hierarchy, which itself led to civil unrest and emigration. In Piedmont, the Langhe transformed itself into a specialist wine growing area and prospered, whereas the wealthy landowners of the Vercellesi continued to exploit large numbers of desperate and deprived landless workers in the rice fields.
Series: State, Economy and Nation in 19th-Century Europe, Course A221
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 49 min.
Year of production: 1996
Availability: Sale; 1998 sale: £195.00 (+VAT +p&p)
Subjects: History
Keywords: history of the 19th century; Italy; Piedmont; rural communities; Sicily

Producer

Charles Cooper

Cast

Clive Emsley

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