Mennagio - Even here, History Shouts at You

Even in regions as provincial as Mennagio, the consistent messages from times past keep shouting at you. That basic message is that art and engineering up to the late 16th century were mediocre... and in relatively small volumes. From 1601 onwards, the volume exploded and the technical sophistication was transformed. What happened from (say) 1550 onwards that generated such rapid development of culture?

One theory from Charles Mann... in his book "1493 - How Europe's Discovery of the Americas Revolutionised Trade Ecology and Life on Earth" (thanks Nathan for the recommendation) is that we can all thank the Potato for the Renaissance period. Walking around the churches and museums in the villages around Mennagio, you can see evidence with your own eyes.

To take only a small part of Charles Mann theory... he points out that a lot of things started to go Europe's way after 1550... to such an extent that its population doubled in period to 1650. The gold and silver from America purchased imports from China and Asia that funded a period of sustainable growth in Europe. The 'little ice age' came to an end... and normal agriculture became more reliable. But Charles Mann attributes a significant portion of increased prosperity to the introduction of the potato. He has tracked the relationship between farmers starting to use the potato and the incidence of famine. He claims that famines in Europe occurred within each decade and killed one-tenth of the population. He claims that growing potatoes eradicated famine... removed the population reduction caused by famine... allowed states to expand their graineries ... gave greater power to the states... allowed states to expand their courts and expand the number of artists, engineers and philosophers. Greater numbers... more competition... more communications... lead to a sudden jump in the volume and quality of community culture... which in turn gave confidence to adopt further changes. Europe was on its way to grow to dominate China... the Muslim States of the Near East... the world. Without the potato, Europe would have continued to be a second-rate region... beholden to the whims of China, India and Turkey.

So next time you see a nice piece of 16th century art... stop and say some words of thanks to the humble potato... without it, we would still be living a life of perpetual hunger.

Today, thanks to the potato, we saw beautiful gardens whose origins began in the 17th century... we saw a church in each village... with vaulted ceilings and expansive stands between pillars... we saw large blocks of stone that had been hoisted high up in the wall... we saw frescoes that portrayed emotion, background and perspective... all features you will not have seen in 15th-century art had it not been for Christopher Columbus bringing back on his ship, the humble potato. Let's hear it for the potato!