"Introduction"

The history of technology in Italy has a long-standing tradition. In the past important contributions have been made by scholars with an established international reputation. A survey of the publications on the history of technology in Italy would be beyond the scope of this short introduction. Some aspects of the field, however, emerge clearly. Not unlike what happens in other countries, the contributions come from scholars who are approaching the study of technology from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, most notably economic history, the history of science and more recently sociology. A second aspect, which is peculiar of Southern European regions, is that much of what is being done is published in the language of the country of origin, and therefore does not circulate easily abroad. The aim of the volume is to provide an overview of current research on the history of Italian technology in the long run, from the early Middle Ages to the 20th century, and in a thematically broad range of themes. The contributions focus on many aspects of Italian creativity in a local and transnational dimension, tracing the trajectory from primacy to relative decline and highlighting the interconnections and cross-fertilization with other European regions, Asia and the Americas. The essays are arranged in chronologically ordered thematic sections, with a first part focussing on the early modern period, a second part discussing the 19th and 20th centuries, and a final one looking at Italian technological innovation in the long durée.