Abstract

This paper is just to give a general look at the Italian silk industry from the beginning of the 16th century up to 1930. In this very long period of time silk industry had periods of increase as well as of decline until its final crisis. Using published studies and original sources too, the author reconstructs, through a series of tables and graphs, the total product of the Italian silk industry in the long period. Particular attention is given to the contribution of the raw silk and thrown silk exports and of cloth output too. Moreover, the author wants to put in evidence the role played, in the Italian silk industry, by the two most important areas in the country, the Centre-North and the South, and the importance of this industry in Italy's GNP in the different ages.