La fabrique du droit commercial. Les usages de commerce en Italie à l’aube du XXe siècle

Since the Middle Ages, commercial custom and usage has been considered a fundamental normative source in the field of commercial law as well as a factor of continuous transformation of the commercial practice itself. Not only trade usage survives after 19th century codification of commercial law, but it continues to feed into business practice. Moreover, this same usage does not stop determining the guidelines of commercial law practice. This contribution turns to the Italian experience, at the time of the exploit of the industrial economy and mass production. What is at stake is the perspective of commercial custom and usage in a society disrupted by economic and social changes driven by the second industrial revolution.