Mapping seasonality and rural production from a geohistorical perspective: the “Ripening Time Registry” of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany (Nineteenth century, Italy)

The analysis of geohistorical sources for the study of past rural seasonality and climate change has started to attract the interest of international researchers. Several scholars call for new sources for the development of a qualitative or quantitative interpretative framework. Following this line, this article presents a cartographic elaboration of a previously unknown land registry created by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in the nineteenth century that contains a list of all agricultural products in Tuscan communities and their ripening times. The registry data were digitized and geolocalized using GIS applications. This source allows reconstruction of the spatial and temporal distribution of the weeks needed in the past for these products to ripen in different areas of Tuscany. The periods in which herbaceous and tree species reached maturity and when they were traded were mapped. Analysis shows many differences between regions that cannot be explained merely by environmental factors. By examining the periods of chestnut ripening between the nineteenth century and present day, we can study the effects of rising temperatures on ripening. We present a WebGIS portal where data may be consulted by disciplines interested in phytology.