Un largo declive: la etapa final de la sericicultura valenciana, 1830-1910

Abstract

The article examines the crisis of silk production, an agro-industrial sector that was central to the Valencian economy for centuries. The outbreak of pébrine plague in the mid-19th century accelerated the long decline centrality of sericulture, and the final phase of decline also lasted for decades. The subject is approached from a dual perspective: the agricultural aspect of mulberry cultivation and silkworm breeding, and the industrial aspect involving silk-spinning factories. Analysing documents from one of the most prominent companies in the region, Trenor & Cía., has allowed us to follow the silk crisis and describe the links between agriculture and industry. Despite significant technological improvements in the factory and sustained demand for yarn, farmers did not resume production after the epidemic. Agricultural dynamics linked to the appearance of more profitable crops and their incompatibility with the cultivation of mulberry trees brought an end to the sector.