PROGRESSIVE MODERNISATION. THE ROLE OF PEASANTS IN THE INDUSTRIALISATION OF NORTH-EASTERN ITALY

process of industrialization of North-Eastern Italy and, in particular the Veneto Region, spread widely outside urban centers, in agrarian territories historically characterised by a specific type of land use based on the harmonious coexistence of different cultures within individual smallholdings. This article focuses on the key shifts that allowed the wide spread of productive activities in rural areas and the active participation of the rural population in industrial production in the absence of significant migration flows in the direction of large industrial centers. The article is organized as follows: the first section analyses the scientific interpretation of the special path of regional modernization. Section 2 presents the main features of the traditional rural economy of North-Eastern Italy. Section 3 examines the changes in the sectoral structure of the regional economy during the period of industrialization. Conclusions summarize results and ongoing transformation of the Veneto regional economy, society and landscape.