Gli Archivi camerali abruzzesi: fonti per una storia industriale tra Ottocento e Novecento

The archives of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Handicrafts and Agriculture constitute a documentary heritage of primary importance for both national and local industrial history. Chamber sources make it possible to reconstruct in detail not only the entrepreneurial structure of the territories but also the interactions that have taken place over time between economic operators, productive sectors, and public institutions. Positioned halfway between public and private archives, the documentation of the Chambers of Commerce allows for the analysis of a wide range of activities carried out across the territories. Starting from an analytical survey of the collections preserved in the chamber archives of the provinces of Chieti, Pescara, Teramo and L’Aquila, as well as in the respective State Archives, this research aims to reflect on the role of such documentation in the reconstruction and narration of economic development, with particular attention to the industrial sector. The study also intends to carry out a first census of chamber sources in Abruzzo.