Scholarly record
A DIFFERENT GAZE. ARTHUR YOUNG IN PIEDMONT
Abstract
The agronomist Arthur Young wasnt a traditional Grand Tourtraveler. The report of his journey in France and Italy is published inTravels during the years 1787, 1788 and 1789. Undertaken more particularly with a View of ascertaining the cultivation, wealth, resources, and national prosperity of the Kingdom of France. The pages written by Young about the Piedmont are very interesting. His approach to the region was different.Infact, the great Italian cities, their buildings and famous antiquities, seem relegated to second place, nevertheless he is a critical observer. His gaze is more attentive to agriculture and local economic development.Arthur Young tookcontacts with farmers and agriculture experts. He lookedto the local conditions of cultivationin Southern Piedmont, around Turin and betweenTurin and Milan. The basis of his travels was the direct knowledge of the area. But as a political Arithmetic Young also did not ignore the statistical data of the yields of the fields. Fifteen years after Youngs journey, Napoleonic statisticians wereimpressed from the high level of Arthurs observations around the Piedmont and NorthernItaly. The historian Carlo Denina(1731-1813), for example, wrote about the importance of Arthur's economics observations made during his trip toItaly. The pages of the Piedmont written by Arthur Young are a reference point for the new regional analysis around Southern Piedmont that contributed to the beginning ofthe Napoleonic statisticsas, for example, Domique Destombes for the Annuaire statistique du département de la Stura pour lan 1809 fesant suite à celui de 1806.
Publication Impact Profile
Publication details
References14
A. Young, The farmer’s letters to the people of England, UK, 1767, p. 308.
G. Prato, La vita economica in Piemonte a mezzo il secolo XVIII, Italia, 1908, p. 87.
G. E. Mingay, Arthur Young and his time, UK, 1975, p. 11.
A. Young, Travels during the years 1787, 1788 and 1789. Undertaken more particularly with a View of ascertaining the cultivation, wealth, resources, and national prosperity of the Kingdom of France, Ireland, 1793, p. 1. For other citations in the text of the same book see the page number in parentheses.
J.F. Albanis Beaumont, Travels through the Maritimes Alpes, from Italy to Lion across the Col de Tende, UK, 1795, p. 17.
For an example of sociability in Turin refer to my: Libertà e identità culturale nel Piemonte di fine Settecento. La Società degli Unanimi di Torino, into F. Panero, P.P. Merlin, Percorsi di libertà fra tardo Medioevo ed Età Contemporanea, Cisim, Italia, 2017, pp. 163-184.
J. B. J. Breton, Voyage en Piémont contenant la description topographique et pittoresque, la statistique et l’histoire des six départemens réunis à la France, par le Sénatus-Consulte de l’an XI, France, 1803, p. 159.
On the debate around agriculture refer to my: Alla ricerca dell’utile economico e sociale. Giovanni Vincenzo Virginio: un agronomo e filantropo dal Piemonte alla Dalmazia, Associazione Culturale Antonella Salvatico-Centro Internazionale Ricerche sui Beni Culturali, Italia, 2011.
G. E. Mingay, Arthur Young and his time, UK, 1975, p. 239.
F. Venturi, L’Italia fuori d’Italia, R. Romano e C. Vivanti (a cura di), Storia d’Italia, vol. III, Dal Settecento all’Unità, Italia, 1973, p. 1113.
J. B. J. Breton, Voyage en Piémont contenant la description topographique et pittoresque, la statistique et l’histoire des six départemens réunis à la France, par le Sénatus-Consulte de l’an XI, France, 1803, p. 158.
P. Gerbaldo, Prima del Risorgimento. Carlo Matteo Capelli nel Piemonte da Napoleone a Carlo Alberto: storia, società, economia, Italia, 2012.
C. Denina, Tableau historique de l’Haute-Italie, et des Alpes qui l’entourent, France, 1805, p. 382 (A. Young, Cultivateur anglais, tome 17, France, 1801, p. 413).
D. Destombes, Annuaire statistique du département de la Stura pour l’an 1809 fesant suite à celui de 1806, rédigé sur l’invitation de M. Pierre Arborio, légionnaire, chevalier de l’empire, préfet du département par D. Destombes, Son Secrétaire intime, chef de la première division de la Préfecture, et Président d’une des sections de la Société d’agriculture, sciences, arts et commerce du Département, Pierre Rossi, Imprimeur de la Préfecture, France, 1809, p. 138.
View or Download full articleAccess options
SWS access login
Login as SWS Scientific CommitteeLogin as SWS Scientific PartnerLogin as SWS AuthorAuthors and approved SWS contributors will read and export their own linked papers after identity matching by SWS profile, email and SGEM GlobalID.
For librarian assistance: [email protected]
Purchase Instant Access
- Article can be downloaded after successful payment.
- Article may be used according to SWS library access terms.
- Article cannot be redistributed.
