A lesson from Pietro Leopoldo

Abstract

Upon leaving Tuscany to become Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold II left some notes (1790) that prove very interesting to today’s economist. They show how a holistic approach to the socio-economic characteristics of a region should always be considered, starting from a people’s spirit, or ‘representative character’. This article summarises Leopold’s notes and draws some implication for the modern study of urban and regional economics.

Keywords

• regional economics
• people’s character
• Leopold II
• Nicholas Georgescu Roegen
• implications