The two faces of the Spanish Government in Finale: economic policy, military billeting, taxation

Abstract

The occupation by the Spanish troops in 1602 determines the inclusion of the imperial fief of Finale inside the possessions of Philip III, as a logistical hub for links between Mediterranean and continental Europe. The impact of the passage under Spanish Government is ambivalent: on one hand the tax strategies of the new rulers encourage the development of an intense transit trade, whose benefits bring advantage to the local merchant classes and many other categories of operators related to transport and resale of goods; on the other hand military transits allow substantial gains related to supplies to the troops, but they constitute a serious burden for those who must billet soldiers in his own home and premises. Strong socio-economic inequalities are also compounded by a direct taxation –necessary to cover the expenses of the garrison– that affects the lower and middle classes, especially those of rural villages. The essay intends to evaluate the extent to which the Spanish rulers have been able to compensate for the strong depletion of resources by offering investment opportunities, for the purpose of a functional control of the territory