L’olivicoltura e la viticoltura nel Mezzogiorno d’Italia: il caso imprenditoriale e familiare dei Caroli da San Pietro in Lama

During the 19th and 20th centuries, Southern Italy was distinguished by an agricultural economy based partly on olive growing and viticulture. A geographic area of Southern Italy that particularly stood out in these crops was the Terra d’Otranto. Over the centuries, in the Terra d’Otranto, there were many cases of family businesses that, following generational succesions, suffered serious crises that led them to closure: this was not the case of the Caroli firm from San Pietro in Lama that promptly reacted to economic and cultural changes by not closing and always by drawing inspiration from the past, invaluable source of added value. This study also examines the history of the Caroli family and the contributions of some exponents of this lineage who, distinguished also by their philanthropic efforts, contributed to the development of the territory, through entrepreneurial activities in the wine and olive oil sectors and the implementation of wise and careful business strategies.