Winegrowing and landowner nobility: the challenge of vine diseases in 19th century Lombardy

Part of a broader ongoing research, the communication aims to analyse the challenge of vine diseases to the rich viticulture in Lombardy (northern Italy) during the 19th century. At the time, wine was a real food for people, and Lombardy produced a high volume and variety of types, mostly for the local market. The urban elite, particularly the landowner nobility, controlled a large part of the production. As the region was transforming into an industrialised area, with an increasing population and consumers, wine selling became an important source of gain. The international demand was also expanding. Therefore, prominent landowners interested in new techniques promoted agronomic studies, congresses, and institutions. Embryonic geography of the various Italian qualities of wines was already emerging and would influence subsequent developments. However, since the mid of century, new diseases, following one another, affected the vines plants (downy and powdery mildew, phylloxera) and a huge scientific and practical effort was needed to overcome them. In the end, some Lombardy areas abandoned winegrowing, while others costly improved the quality and quantity of their production. What were the consequences of this challenge on local farming systems and horticultural techniques, and on wine production? The communication will try to answer focusing on regional nobility estates.