Divari territoriali. Destini o scelte collettive?

We discuss regional divides in Italy in the light of the recent literature in growth and development. After a short exposition of the main stylized facts and their entwinement with policies since after WWWII, we provide an interpretation of the causes and the role of policies in the light of theoretical and empirical analysis on these themes. We argue that the provision of local public infrastructure is key to development. We highlight how this provision is particularly delicate in the institutional framework in Italy