Italian export capacity in the long run perspective (1861-2009): a tortuous path to keep the position

The paper focuses on the evolution of the capacity of Italian goods to reach international markets from the Unification (1861) up to now. In so doing we provide a wide range of new series on the topic. On one hand we present the general trends of macroeconomic data related to trade, on the other hand we provide the evolution of Italian foreign trade focusing, in particular, on the characteristics of export flows. The paper illustrates the Italian tortuous path to keep the position amongst the most advanced countries in spite of its peculiar specialisation