Il Trasimeno sull’orlo del prosciugamento. Storia di un dilemma ambientale nei secc. XVIII-XIX

Over the span of a century, between the 18th and 19th centuries, Lake Tra-simeno risked being drained. The purpose of the present volume is to examine the projects and debates related to this initiative and that aimed to either support it or conversely oppose it. The core elements of an ante litteram ‘environmental conflict' are highlighted and further analysed in this volume; these elements concern different ways to conceive concepts, such as ‘wellbeing’ and ‘development’ and, finally, the juridical and political tools of territorial governance. Against the background of the most recent environmental historiography – open to the interdisciplinary dimension and focused on cultural profiles -, the aim is to analyse the change in the relations between men and the Lake as well as the varying perception of these relations through this case study. The elements highlighted in this research can help to understand the contemporary public discourse, which is focused on the concepts of ‘public good’, ‘health’, ‘general interest’ and ‘development’ that are not unanimously shared and, most importantly, not always clearly set out and consciously adopted, with a greater critical thinking.