Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effects of geographical and prolonged cultural isolation on the marital behaviour of an Alpine community (Valsesia-Italy, 1618–1899)

  • Published:
Human Evolution

Abstract

The settlement of the “Alta Valsesia” during the XIII century by the ethnic group “Walser” coming from the Switzerland region “Vallese”, left clear historical and cultural traces. In the present study we analysed the “Alagna Valsesia” community (Piedmont). The aim of this research is to reconstruct the demographic and the matrimonial structure of this cultural and geographic isolate over three centuries and to evaluate the degree of isolation through the analysis of some biodemographic parameters calculated on the bases of parish registers, from 1618 to 1899 (1503 marriages). Data on the population dynamics highlighted an early depopulation, since 1500, than led in 1800 to a decline to population of about 60%, relating to the well known phenomenon of the leaving of mountainous isolate. The analysis of the marriages shows a low rate of endogamic mating (82%). This rate reach the highest peak 93% between 1650 and 1659, then it decreases to the minimum values 67% in the middle of 1700. The rates of consanguineous and isonymic marriages are around 20% and 4–5% respectively, reaching the maximum values during 1800; with the only exception for the period between 1700 and 1749, when the rates decreases because of a substantial migratory flow. Inbreeding coefficient stressed out — values between 0,4×10–3 and 2,4×10–3, not so different from the ones reported for other Italian mountainous isolates. The analysis of the seasonality of marriages high-lighted a strong concentration of marriages during winter months, particularly in January and February, when works were suspended because of the cold.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Archivio Parrocchiale Di Alagna Valsesia. Stati d'Anime.

  • Archivio Storico Diocesano Di Novara. Novaria Sacra.

  • Bley D., Boetsch G. and Rabino Massa E. 1994. Des Collines de Fontanigorda à la mine de Saint-Maime. Un siècle de migration italienne en Haute-Provence. Imprim. Départ. Admin., Comune di Fontanigorda.

  • Breschi M. and Livi-Bacci M. 1997. Month of Birth as a Factor of Children's Survival. In: Infant and Child Mortality in the Past. A. Bideau, B. Desjardins and H. Pérez-Brignoli (eds.), Clarendon Press, Oxford: 157–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coppa A., Di Donato L., Vecchi F. and Danubio M.E. 2001. Seasonality of marriages and ecological contexts in rural communities of Central-Southern Italy, 1500–1871.Collegium Antropologicum, 25: 403–412.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford M.H., 1980. The breakdown of reproductive isolation in an Alpine genetic isolate: Acceglio, Italy. In: Population Structure and Genetic Disorders. A.W. Eriksson, H.R. Forsius, H.R. Nevanlinna, P.L. Workman and R.K. Norio (eds.), Academic Press, New York: 57–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crisafulli C., Dalla Zuanna G. and Solero F. 2000. La stagionalità delle nascite diancien régime nelle provincie italiane e in Calabria. In: Popolazione e Storia. SIDeS (ed), Forum, Grafiche Tielle di Sequals, Pordenone: 177–198.

  • Crow J.F. 1980. The estimation of inbreeding from isonymy.Human Biology, 52: 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danubio M.E., 1997. The Biodemographic Approach: Reproductive Isolation as Inferred by Marital Structure in Two Sample Villages in Sardinia. In: Adaptation to Malaria. The Interaction of Biology and Culture. L.S. Greene and M.E. Danubio (eds), Gordon and Breach, Newark, NJ: 323–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danubio M.E. and Amicone E. 2001. Biodemographic study in a central Apennine area (Italy) in the 19th and 20th centuries: Marriage seasonality and reproductive isolation.Journal of Biosocial Science, 33: 427–449.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danubio M.E., Amicone E. and Gruppioni G. 2001. Modelli di stagionalità matrimoniale nell'Appennino abruzzese dal secolo XIX. In: Atti del XIII Congresso degli Antropologi Italiani. G. Spedini, G. Destro-Bisol and G. Manzi (eds), Art Color Offset, Roma: 195–201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danubio M.E., Amicone E., Placidi M. and Placidi M. 2002. Seasonality of births and conceptions in a pastoral community of the Province of L'Aquila (Abruzzo, Italy), 1800–1965.Collegium Antropologicum, 26: 171–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Danubio M.E., Piro A. and Tagarelli A. 1999. Endogamy and Inbreeding since the 17th in Past Malarial Communities in the Province of Cosenza (Calabria, Italy).Annals of Human Biology, 26: 473–488.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellison P.T. 1994. Advances in Human Reproductive Ecology.Annual Review of Anthropology, 23: 255–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fuster V. 2003. Inbreeding pattern and reproductive success in a rural community from Galicia (Spain).Journal of Biosocial Science, 35: 83–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman A.H. and Leatherman T.L. 1998. Traversing the Chasm between Biology and Culture: An Introduction. In: Building a New Biocultural Synthesis. Political-Economic Perspectives on Human Biology. A.H. Goodman and T.L. Leatherman (eds.), University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor: 3–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grech V., Savona-Ventura C., Agius-Muscat H. and Janulova L. 2003. Seasonality of births is associated with seasonality of marriages in Malta.Journal of Biosocial Science, 35: 95–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gueresi P., Martuzzi-Veronesi F. and Pettener D. 1995. Aspetti biodemografici delle valli trentine: l'alta Valle del Sole dal 1750 al 1923.Bollettino di Demografia Storica, 21: 91–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huss-Ashmore R. and Thomas R.B. 1997. The Future of Human Adaptability Research. In: Human Adaptability: Past, Present, and Future. S.J. Ulijaszek and R. Huss-Ashmore (eds), Oxford University Press, Oxford: 295–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • ISTAT 1985. Popolazione residente e presente dei Comuni. Censimenti dal 1861 al 1981. ISTAT, Roma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lucchetti E., Manfredini M., Boetsch G., Bley D., Aluja P., Pena J., Revello, D., Melleri R. and Sevin A. 1996. Changes in marriage seasonality among some rural european populations.International Journal of Anthropology, 11: 73–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martuzzi-Veronesi F., Gueresi, P. and PETTENER D. 1996. Biodemographic Analysis of Italian Alpine Communities (Upper Sole Valley, 1725–1923).Rivista di Antropologia 74: 55–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meulman J.J. and Heises W.J. 1999. SPSS Categories 10.0. SPSS INC., Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morelli L., PAOLI G. and Francalacci P. 2002. Surname analysis of the Corsican population reveals an agreement with geographical and linguistic structure.Journal of Biosocial Science, 34: 289–301.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paoli G., Franceschi M.G., Lasker, G.W. 1999. Changes over 100 years in degree of isolation of 21 parishes of the Lima Valley, Italy, assessed by surname isonymy.Human Biology 71: 123–133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pena J.A., Alfonso-Sanchez M.A. and Calderon R. 2002. Inbreeding and demographic transition in the Orozco Valley (Basque Country, Spain).American Journal of Human Biology, 14: 713–720.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pettener D., Gueresi P. and Martuzzi-Veronesi F. 1994. Struttura biodemografica della Valle del Fersina (Valle dei Mocheni) dal 1800 al 1914.Bollettino di Demografia Storica, 20: 131–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Regione Piemonte — Legge Regionale n. 37, 17/06/1997, art.1., comma 1 bis.

  • Regione Piemonte — Legge Regionale n.15 7/06/1996.

  • Roguljic D., Rudan I. and Rudan P. 1997. Estimation of inbreeding, kinship, genetic distances, and population structure from surnames: the Island of Hvar, Croatia.American Journal of Human Biology, 9: 595–607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosetta L. 1993. Seasonality and fertility. In: Seasonality and human ecology. S.J. Ulijaszek and S.S. Strickland (eds), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK: 65–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rudan I. 1999. Inbreeding and cancer incidence in human isolates.Human Biology, 71: 173–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simmler J. 1573. Vallesiae descriptio cum commentario. Novara, 1573.

  • Studer F. 1988. Le colonie tedesco vallesane e Walzer delle Alpi (Walliser und Walzer). Fondazione Architettonica E. Monti, Angola D'Ossola.

    Google Scholar 

  • Viazzo A. and Bodo M. 1982. Gli Status Animarum come fonte storico-demografica, l'esempio di Alagna Valsesia. Novarien, Archivio Storico Diocesano, Novara.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zanzi R. and Rizzi E. 1987. I Walzer nella storia delle Alpi, un modello di civilizzazione e i suoi problemi metodologici. Jaca Book, Milano.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Storie e Metodi per la Conservazione dei Beni Culturali, Università di Bologna (Sede di Ravenna), Bologna, Italy

    Malacarne E. & Gruppioni G.

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Università dell' Aquila, Aquila, Italy

    Danubio M. E.

Authors
  1. Malacarne E.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Danubio M. E.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gruppioni G.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Malacarne, E., Danubio, M.E. & Gruppioni, G. The effects of geographical and prolonged cultural isolation on the marital behaviour of an Alpine community (Valsesia-Italy, 1618–1899). Hum. Evol. 20, 167–179 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02438734

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02438734

Keywords

Search

Navigation