Italian Weights and Measures: From the Middle Ages to the 19th Century, Memoirs, American Philosophical Society (Vol. 145)

Unlike most metrological systems throughout W. Europe, the Italian developed during the Middle Ages (MA) & Early Modern era without any ref. to a commonly accepted set of nat.-ethnic standards. Italy, with its many kingdoms, duchies, communes, etc., was never able to attain any level of metrological standardization outside the confines of severely restricted, small, independent, political jurisdictions. Not until unification in 1871, were Italian weights & measures (W&M) given a totally nat. character. And it was the metric system, & not a conglomerate of units from the old, that finally accomplished the task. This book presents a quantitative compilation, synthesis, & analysis of the principal pre-metric W&M employed throughout Italy & in those areas controlled or influenced by Italy from the Later MA to the age of metrication in the later 19th cent. Tables.