The energy battle. Gas and electricity in Italian cities during the liberal era (1861-1920)

Beginning in the 1880s, Italy witnessed a true battle between gas and electricity within the field of lighting. The former was an established technology while the latter was a challenger. At the same time, urban services were undergoing a massive transformation as a result of the birth of a new society of the masses. In the end, gas progressively withdrew from the field of lighting and found other uses, contributing significantly to the modernization of Italian society in the liberal era. As a result, the «golden age» of municipalisation impacted the gas sector, resulting in a series of important episodes from an economic, technological and socio-political viewpoint.