"Pace, pace, morte ai dazi e alle gabelle" : il peso della guerra nella Lombardia del primo Trecento

For more than a quarter of a century, between 1311 and 1338, Lombardy was shaken by civil clashes and major international conflicts, but the paper shows that we must not overestimate the destructive power of these wars, because most of the wages of mercenaries and booties were reintroduced into local economic circuits. Indirect damage, such as the increase in taxes or the insecurity of trade, were more serious problems, but after the early consolidation of the signoria of Azzone Visconti, between 1329 and 1339, the region experienced a period of relative peace, which made it possible to quickly recover the losses sustained in the previous years and to avoid any long-term consequences.