PART I: Features and Evolution of the Regional Economy: an Introduction 1. Lombardy's development in the long 19th Century, Silvia A. Conca Messina PART II: The Economic Area: Agriculture, Trade, Industry 2. Production Systems in Agriculture, Gianpiero Fumi 3. Lombardy's Food industries in the Italian context: An Overview 1870-1914 Silvia A. Conca Messina 4. Towards the Consolidation of an Economic Region: Cities, Trade and Transport Luca Mocarelli 5. Silk as the Leading Factor of Development Roberto Tolaini 6. The Cotton Industry 1815-1914 Silvia A. Conca Messina 7. Iron and Metalworking Sergio Onger and Valerio Varini 8. New Industries (1861-1914) Andrea Colli and Ilaria Suffia 9. Fashion: Production, Commercialization and Consumption Elisabetta Merlo PART III : The Economic Players: Business, Finance, Institutions 10. The Economic and Social Rise of Milan's Mercantile Community (1700-1859) Stefano Levati 11. Noblemen in Business Silvia A. Conca Messina 12. Sketching the very Wealthy: Men and Women of Property (1861-1900) Stefania Licini 13. The Informal Banking Systems. A Mosaic between 19th and early 20th centuries Pietro Cafaro 14. The Regional Financial System: Institutional Varieties and Complementarity (1861- 1914) Giandomenico Piluso 15. Institutions and Agrarian Development. Fiscal Policies and Statistical Enquiries Andrea M. Locatelli and Paolo Tedeschi 16. Church, Religious Orders and Congregations, Catholic movement Giovanni Gregorini 17. Education, Institutions and Industrial Development Giorgio Bigatti