Law in a changing economy and society ̶ Italy, the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries: The birth of academic legal knowledge

The advent of a novel doctrine of commercial law, firmly grounded in a robust tradition, coincided in Italy with the challenges posed by nascent capitalism. Confronted with the challenges posed by the advent of mass production and industrial society, Italian commercial law professors in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were compelled to develop new methodologies. In order to ensure the continued relevance of the national codification, it was imperative to maintain its alignment with contemporary practices. The focus of their reflection was on history and comparison, which unfolded in harmony with the events occurring in other European countries. Intense and fruitful relationships were cultivated with foreign colleagues, especially French ones, through the flexible medium of legal journals.