Paola Lanaro

At the Centre of the Old World. Reinterpreting Venetian Economic History

This paper aims to provide a general overview on the recent works in the economic history of Venice. Instead of a �pessimistic� interpretation, focused on the lost in the maritime position and on the rigidity of the corporative institution, this paper breaks down on the fundamental changes in the economic framework of the whole Republic of Venice, particularly in its mainland: investment in the agrarian sector, development of new manufactures, foreign market shift from Western to Eastern Europe. Published in the volume: At the Centre of the Old World: Trade and Manufacturing in Venice and the Venetian Mainland (1400-1800), edited by P. Lanaro, Toronto, Centre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies, 2006.

Le officine dei luoghi pii. L’esempio veneziano: l’istituto Manin nel corso dell’Ottocento

Il saggio mette in luce attraverso una documentazione d’archivio, qui per la prima volta analizzata e conservata a Venezia presso l’IRE, l’opera di assistenza e formazione professionale svolta dall’istituto Manin , fondato a Venezia a tale scopo con atto testamentario dall’ultimo dei dogi Ludovico Manin, lungo tutto il 19 secolo e poco oltre. L’intervento dell’istituto era rivolto a bambini e bambine poveri che al suo interno rinvenivano percorsi di istruzione professionale oltre che di educazione morale che spesso permettevano loro di trovare interessanti sbocchi lavorativi

Economic Space and Urban Policies Fairs and Markets in the Italy of the Early Modern Age

The difficulty of defining fairs and markets with any methodological clarity is particularly pronounced when one considers the problem of space and the growth of urban centers. The close link between the two economic institutions is especially conspicuous in the case of Italy, a country that not only boasted the highest concentration of towns, but also showed precocious instances of institutional powers adopting urban strategies. What this suggests is that a single model is insufficient and that different analytical approaches must be adopted. The aim of this article is to identify certain lines of development in the relations linking fairs and markets to urban spaces—in the broad sense of both urban spaces and geo-economical spaces dominated by an urban center.