Accounting and work relationships in an eighteenth-century Italian household

Abstract

In elaborating on accounting and work, this study focuses on the distinctive arena of the household to uncover details regarding how relationships with paid subordinates were managed in the eighteenth century. To delve more deeply into the topic, this article focuses on the case of Silvia Rabatta, a widow in a noble family living in Friuli (Italy). Drawing on primary archival sources, this study shows that Silvia managed work relationships with her subordinates like business relationships, instrumental in nature and based on contractual agreements. However, her emotional attachment and attention to the subordinates’ wellbeing were also evident in the accounting books and correspondence of this Friulian noblewoman.