IGIENISMO E MODERNIZZAZIONE SANITARIA IN AREA PADANA TRA OTTO E NOVECENTO

The Italian Society of Hygiene was founded in the two last decades of 1800 century, affecting the sanitary law during Crispi’s government as well as the set up of the first sanitary management system of the kingdom. The present PhD thesis is focused on verifying the presence and the development of hygienist culture in some local case studies, specifically in the cities of Modena, Parma, Reggio Emilia and Mantova. The first chapter reconstructs the foundation and the evolution of the hygienist movement at a national level, from its creation to the First World War. The second chapter turns the focus to the local scenario where the hygienists act, pointing out the multiplicity figures joining movement including the local élites. The third chapter describes the educational background of the hygienist technicians, through a national overview first and then analyzing the scenario of Modena and Parma University. The fourth chapter focuses on the practices and concepts of hygienists taking place within marginal realities. The fifth chapter explores the processes of sanitary norms creation, starting from the ambivalent relation between central and local administration. The last chapter describes the final build up of the first sanitary system, highlighting the timeframe and the ways to put in place of the laboratories and the hygiene offices.