Anica Čuka

Phylloxera revisited: the spread of grapevine disease in Dalmatia and its influence on socio-economic development and agricultural landscape

The paper discusses the infl uence of phylloxera on the socio-economic features and landscape of Dalmatia, a region of Croatia. The aim of the paper is to investigate the spread of phylloxera in Dalmatia and how it affected the landscape, economy and population of the area in question. The research is based on a comparative analysis of various spatial data sources. Phylloxera spread through Dalmatia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the region belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Since agriculture, along with maritime activities and fishing, formed the heart of economic activities in Dalmatia, the crisis in viniculture caused by phylloxera had a particularly negative infl uence on social and economic circumstances. At the same time, changes occurred in the agrarian landscape, as many of the vineyards affected by phylloxera were never renewed ; some arable areas were reassigned to other cultures, while others were completely abandoned.