Abstract

The article attempts to systematise the extensive literature about territorial pacts in Italy. Despite the large amount of contributions, the definition of "territorial pact" remains less than clear. The text also addresses the questions that the literature has attempted to answer in relation to the different phases of territorial pacts' evolution (origins, implementation, evaluation, and conditions for success). Finally the article discusses scholars' increased interest for the role played by public actors, especially public actors and employers; on the other hand, the role played by trade unions has been neglected. The article also comprises a synoptic table summarising key features of the main works (about 50) on territorial pacts.