Exploring the Rural within the Italian local development policy

The countryside has a major role in Italy’s territorial identity and organization. The way agriculture has shaped the Italian territory and society, however, is a very complex historical process, marked by different political and economic purposes. By looking at the national territory under such an evolutionary perspective, and the changing approaches to rural development due to the influence of EU policies, this paper describes the main policy instruments that have been implemented across the Italian regions in recent decades. After this overview, the paper concludes with a critical discussion on the limits and potential of rural areas in the country’s development process.