Abstract

The new liberalist economic politics, in conjunction with an active treaty policy, led to a significant expansion of commercial and cultural relationships during the Cavour decade. Exchanges with foreign countries played a driving role in the country's process of economic modernization. The degree of openness of the economy and society was expanding at the time. The Sardinian States' foreign trade was likewise seeing increasing growth, with specific reference to exporting, mainly to France. Sardinia's treaty policy in the early 1850s (the treaties with France and Great Britain were economically and politically important) brought about a remarkable contribution to the dynamisation of economy. The growing presence of seeds for future developments is important: the increasing ability to adjust the response to market situations; the acquisition of technical skills, workforce and machinery from abroad; the importing of assets and business management models; the rapid growth of investments in physical and cultural infrastructure; increased investment in industry; and changes in the composition of import-related commodities.