Decreto delli molto magnifici Sig. Luogotenente & Consiglieri di S. Altezza Fatta il Di X. di Febbraio MDLXIX. Contra quelli che Taglieranno Nelli. Alpi.

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A remarkable ephemeral survival of early environmental law. This Decreto, issued in 1569 by Cosimo I de' Medici, is concerned with the policies surrounding tree-felling in the mountainous areas of the Duchy of Tuscany.Whilst, in pre-1700 Italy and Europe, 'forested areas were still ubiquitous and their resources vast or at least sufficient for human needs', 'the slow but steady pace of economic growth and the moderate human impact on forested areas' was starting to have a visible impact. Indeed, deforestation 'was most often pursued to open up lands useful for subsistence cultivation' (Vecchio, pp.108-9). Decreto reveals a view of wooded areas still influenced by the late medieval 'forest relapse' (in Vecchio, p.108) - i.e., an increase in wooded areas whilst seeking to balance the environmental necessity of woodlands with the novel needs of a growing economy and population. It begins by remarking on the Dukes' continuous interest in the preservation of forests, as proved by a strict law 'prohibiting [tree-]felling and work on the mountains, so that these may not be stripped, but may instead preserve the great quantity of trees Nature has provided them with, as ornament and vestment'. It then clarifies that, like those of 1566 and August 1568, Decreto sought to ease such restrictions in favour of communities living on the mountains, so that, whilst not being penalized due to others' excess, they might nevertheless not become negligent towards their local environment. In particular, it lists fines for specific transgressions. First, in case of felling or incision of up to 3 trees of a specific size, situated over 2 miles from the Castle and houses, and near the boundary with other jurisdictions, the community should pay 35 lire per tree, should the transgressors remain unknown. For smaller and younger trees, the fine for the community would be 10 or 14 lire, or 25 scudi, according to the number of plants affected. The 'Alpi' mentioned in the title were most probably the Apuan Alps, near Carrara, renowned for the extraction of marble, though the word was also used to denote any mountainous area.This first edition was issued by the Ducal Press, which had a 6-month monopoly on the printing of Decreti. Two more editions were produced in the same year, one by the Giunti.Only Harvard Law copy recorded in the US.Leggi e bandi del periodo mediceo posseduti dalla Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, n.283.1. B. Vecchio, 'Forests Visions in Early Modern Italy', in Nature and History in Modern Italy, ed. M. Armiero et al. (2010), pp.108-25.