Mussel farming in the southern waters of the lagoon of Venice: An example of farming the sea,La mitilicoltura nelle acque meridionali della laguna di Venezia Un esempio di agricoltura del mare

This article reconstructs mussel farming in the Venetian lagoon, a complex socio-economic phenomenon of great significance for the populations involved. The first part is dedicated to the names and classification of the mussels in the lagoon, with particular emphasis on the popular name "peòcio", the origin of which is examined with reference to the writings of the classical naturalist. The author than makes a comparison with the results of her research in the field. She also analyses the rapid change in the perception of mussels, which have risen from a poor food considered an unhealthy, sometimes haven inedible, to a highly sought-after speciality. This is followed by a consideration of the local history of the mussel farming, and a review of the cultivation and gathering of "peòcio" today and if evolution from a simple form of fishing to family-run businesses to current production on an industrial scale. This evolution highlights the fact that Alfredo Gilebbi from the Marches re-launched mussel farming of the island of Pellestrina in the southern lagoon in 1939. Similarly, in nearby Chioggia it appears that this skills where brought in from outside by a fisherman from Pellestrina who moved to the town. These events have given rise to what can be defined as the "Founding myths" of mussel farming. The last part of the book is dedicated to the modes of appropriations and examines the numerous analogies with the world farming and agriculture, which marked the transitions from gathering to breedind, an evolution that brought with it a change in the ideology of the fishermen turned mussel farmers.