The Civilizational Space of Italy: The Development of Society, Economics and Politics. Book 1. The Ancient World, the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Enlightenment

This edition presents the first book of Alexander Buychik’s study of the civilizational space of Italy, devoted to the social, economic and political development of the Apennine Peninsula from antiquity to the threshold of the nineteenth century. The monograph examines Italy as a historically layered civilizational system shaped by geography, natural resources, political institutions, economic structures and cultural transformations. The opening part provides a physical and geographical overview of Italy, including its location, relief, climate, soils, flora, fauna, mineral resources and environmental issues. A major section of the book is devoted to Ancient Rome, analysing territorial expansion, the evolution of political power, civil law, social organisation and the economic foundations of the Roman state. The study then explores the transformation of Roman society during the early and high Middle Ages, including the Great Migration, Lombard expansion, monastic institutions, feudal relations and the rise of medieval Italian cities. Special attention is given to the economic, social and political development of Italy during the Renaissance, including urban self-government, guilds, craft production, maritime trade, banking and the role of Northern Italian city-states. The book also analyses the Italian states in the age of Enlightenment, focusing on economic decline and recovery, industry, agriculture, taxation, poverty, wages, trade and financial policy. By combining historical, economic, political and geographical perspectives, the monograph presents Italy not only as a territory of successive states, but also as a complex civilizational space with long-term institutional continuity and regional diversity. The publication is intended for historians, economists, political researchers, students, postgraduate students, teachers and readers interested in Italian history and European civilizational development.