Un laboratorio per la zootecnia italiana. Pavia, l’Università e il territorio da fine Settecento al fascismo

This chapter examines the role played by Pavia, its University and the surrounding territory in the development of veterinary medicine, zoological sciences and animal husbandry from the late eighteenth century to the Fascist period. It first reconstructs the evolution of veterinary training and the links between Pavia and the veterinary schools of Milan and Turin, highlighting the circulation of scholars and the progressive institutionalization of the animal sciences. It then considers the efforts of scientists, veterinarians and agricultural institutions to understand and control the main livestock diseases, from contagious bovine pleuropneumonia and anthrax to foot-and-mouth disease and bovine tuberculosis. Particular attention is paid to the interaction between academic research, local agricultural interests and public authorities. Finally, the chapter traces the development of zootechnical institutions in the province of Pavia and the early experiments in artificial insemination promoted during the interwar period. Taken together, these developments show how the Pavia area became an important field of interaction between scientific research, agricultural practice and institutional action in the modernization of Italian livestock farming.