Scuole d'istruzione agraria nel Mezzogiorno (1804-1860)

The essay analyzes the efforts made by the Bourbon government to spread agrarian education, in the pre-unification period, to promote the modernization of the economy of the Kingdom. The most ambitious of these attempts was accomplished in the 1940s, but, although intelligently planned, produced poor practical results, because it clashed with a series of obstacles that largely compromised its effectiveness. Among these, we should mention: the scarcity of resources of the municipalities, which had the obligation to pay the teachers, the poor preparation of the latter, and the presence of an audience not very numerous and rarely present at the lessons. The schools were also opened in just over a third of the municipalities of the Kingdom, and they had an ephemeral life. Among the few schools that distinguished themselves for functionality and efficiency, we recall those of Foggia and Lucera, which had solid financial resources and saw good and prepared teachers at work.