The Lion's Share

Abstract

Centre and PeripheryThis chapter aims to give an overview of the developments of the Venetian fiscal system between the late Middle Ages and the early modern period. Such developments, although an integral part of the process of the gradual emergence all over Europe of the modern fiscal state, are nevertheless remarkably localized in their specifics. Particular attention will be paid to local taxation, which on account of its heterogeneous characteristics is often overlooked when attempting a synthesis, but is crucial to understanding the sources available for the study of the distribution of property and wealth. Indeed, the local property tax records (estimi) are the main historical sources used in the chapters that follow.

Looking for the islands of equality in a sea of inequality. Why did some societies in pre-industrial Europe have relatively low levels of wealth inequality?

“…Second, many taxes were regressive. 78 Mostly, they consisted of excises or indirect taxes on consumption goods. Wealth taxes were levied only very intermittently, often had flat rates and their size was very modest.…”

“…After the 1670s, taxation in Holland became based on a more equal footing, by levying more taxes on real es-tate and luxury products, resulting in a decline of taxes in the form of excises on basic necessities, even though this share still remained substantial. 82 In other states, however, central taxation remained even more clearly regressive, even to a substantial extent, 83 thus solidifying or even widening wealth disparities.…”

“…Still, even the earlier system had been proportional, not progressive. Moreover, in other instances, as has been argued for northern Italy, 85 local elites rather used their local power to shift the fiscal burden to people less closely involved in local decision-making.…”

Economic inequality in preindustrial Europe, 1300-1800: methods and results from the EINITE project

“…To overcome them, a specific method has been developed. Introduced in my study of the Sabaudian State, 22 later it has been applied to the Florentine State (Tuscany) as well as to the southern Low Countries 23 and more recently to the Republic of Venice 24 and to Germany. 25 The method is being applied also to the Kingdom of Naples.…”

“…Consequently, here they will not be discussed further, referring to other publications for a more detailed analysis. 59 If we look for general explanations, political-institutional factors currently seem to be the most promising. Recently, Scheidel has underlined the connection between political power and the building of great fortunes in early modern times, especially in the context of large empires, like the Ottoman or the Spanish, or of highly centralized states like the Kingdom of France.…”