Tra la città e il fiume.

Environmental accounting and state power in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (1537–1621)

“…Particularly important for this study were the reports prepared by the Ufficiali de’ Fossi to document their activity and allow control by the Grand Dukes. We analysed the books Partiti e Deliberationi (Book of Decisions and Deliberations, AsP, AFF, 10; AsP, AFF, 30) and Campione de Pini (Pine Tree Inventory, AsP, AFF, 454). The former was used to record in minute detail the decisions and orders relating to public works to be done, along with fines issued and permissions granted by the Ufficiali de’ Fossi .…”

“…Only if the latter did not need it, could the owner sell the timber. Following the survey by the Magistracy, a report was sent to the Grand Duke (AsP, AFF, 454, c.1r-c.2r). This was an extremely detailed report which was presented, along with a description of the rationale for the Ducal intervention and the procedures enacted, at the very beginning of the Campione de Pini , so that all the work relating to this intervention could be documented.…”

“…These bureaucrats stated that they wentfrom treetop to treetop, starting from the quarry of Montebianco and then on to all the pine groves to the municipality of Buti which is the last [in the Pisan territory] and borders the municipality of Castel Vecchio di Lucca, [we] visited all towns, marked each boundary with a pile of stones and a peeled pine tree branch and noted down the name of the area. This was done by the Sottoprovveditore Bartolomeo Pettinini, Bernardino also know as ‘il Pezza’ and forest guard Paulo da Jesa, in the presence of the civil authorities of the municipalities concerned (AsP, AFF, 454, c.1v).…”

“…Detailed information was then added in the pages that followed, which clearly identified the areas marked by the Magistracy in each commune around Pisa and clarified who were the individuals responsible for the inspection. So important was this new policy that the wealth of information provided by the Magistracy was further checked by bureaucrats appointed by the Grand Duke himself to ensure that the report provided a reliable picture of the Pisan areas affected by the Ducal policy and to prevent any future disputes when the policy would have been implemented (AsP, AFF, 454, c.5r-c.5v). This also involved further on-site visits by the Grand Duke’s bureaucrats, following which the boundaries of each area were finalised and the owner of the land allowed to request permission to cut down pine trees (AsP, AFF, 454, c.5v -c.6v).…”

“…So important was this new policy that the wealth of information provided by the Magistracy was further checked by bureaucrats appointed by the Grand Duke himself to ensure that the report provided a reliable picture of the Pisan areas affected by the Ducal policy and to prevent any future disputes when the policy would have been implemented (AsP, AFF, 454, c.5r-c.5v). This also involved further on-site visits by the Grand Duke’s bureaucrats, following which the boundaries of each area were finalised and the owner of the land allowed to request permission to cut down pine trees (AsP, AFF, 454, c.5v -c.6v). Each of these requests was documented in the Campione de Pini , where each entry recorded the size of the area to be licensed, its location, the name of the owner and the amount to be paid to receive permission to remove pine trees.…”