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Napoleonic Administrative Reforms and Development in the Italian Mezzogiorno

Author

Listed:
  • Giulio Cainelli

    (Department of Economics and Management "Marco Fanno", University of Padua)

  • Carlo Ciccarelli

    (Department of Economics and Finance, University of Rome Tor Vergata, and CAGE Research Centre, Department of Economics, University of Warwick)

  • Roberto Ganau

    (Department of Economics and Management "Marco Fanno", University of Padua, and Department of Geography and Environment, LSE)

Abstract

We study how changes in the administrative hierarchy of a country affect development at the city level. We use the 1806 Napoleonic administrative reform implemented in the Kingdom of Naples as a historical experiment to assess whether district capitals with supra-municipal administrative functions enjoyed an urban development premium compared with non-capital cities. We find that district capitals recorded a population growth premium throughout the 19th century (1828–1911) and experienced higher industrialization than non-capital cities, both before and after the Italian unification. We explain our findings through mechanisms relating to public goods provision and transport network accessibility.

Suggested Citation

  • Giulio Cainelli & Carlo Ciccarelli & Roberto Ganau, 2025. "Napoleonic Administrative Reforms and Development in the Italian Mezzogiorno," Quaderni di storia economica (Economic History Working Papers) 54, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:workqs:qse_54
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Napoleonic reforms; local administrative hierarchy; development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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