Paper short abstract:

The aim of this research is to study some specific experiences and patterns of agrarian colonization of internal areas in the South of Italy during the post-unification period.

Paper long abstract:

The colonization of wastelands is an essential factor in the anthropization and economic growth of a territory. In such a perspective, the aim of this research is to study some specific cases of agrarian colonization of internal areas in the South of Italy during the post-unification period to measure the impact and responsiveness of local communities to the legislative initiatives for land redistribution and reorganization of state-owned assets (especially the partition of common lands) promoted by the State. Particular attention was dedicated to the interaction between society and the environment and the relationship between landowners and peasants, essential factors for studying the development of agrarian colonization projects in a specific area. Some specific cases of "model" villages were analyzed, focusing on urban planning projects (types of housing, animal stables, etc.) and the distribution of agricultural land. The focus was centered on the province of Salerno (Campania Region) for a time span from the "state owned assets question" to the post-World War II (agrarian reform). The study was conducted through the documentation kept in the territorial state archives (Naples and Salerno), The Commissariato per gli Usi Civici per la Campania e per il Molise and the Central State Archives in Rome. The archival analysis was enriched with spatial elaborations carried out with GIS technology to geolocate the case studies and to observe the main land transformations in the long run.