Forests and Forestry Culture in Tuscany in the 18th and 19th Centuries

Extended deforestations occurred all over Europe at the end of tht 18th century. The whole italian peninsula experienced this phenomenon. In this context, Tuscany brought its original contribution, characterized by a double reform. The first introduced at the end of 18th century by the grand duke Pietro Leopoldo. The other was promoted by the Accademia dei Georgofili and addressed the problems related to the management of the forestal surfeces (deforestations and afforestations), promoting a modern "forestal culture" till the creation in 1869 of Vallombrosa Forestal Institute. The availability of documents of different kinds (printed periodicals, «catasto» and census) stored in tuscany archives and libraries allows to reconstruct, with a good level of reliability, the forestal surface, the property distribution and the people employed in the forests, in the 19th century. (Report no. 2 of IUFRO Task Force on Environmental Change)