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Fact
Between the late 19th century and the 1930s Italy produced around 4 million kilograms of silkworm cocoons a year: the Lomellina, with the Ticino river basin, was one of the main areas, fed by the dense mulberry cultivation of the Po Valley.
History
In the sorting and selection departments very young girls often worked — sometimes as young as ten or twelve — valued for the quickness of their fingers and because they were cheaper: the 1902 Carcano law protected them on paper, but the labour inspectorate rarely checked.
Law
The minimum age for industrial work was set at 12 by the Carcano law (1902) and raised to 14 by the 1934 law — thresholds systematically overrun in the spinning mills, especially in 'light' sorting and finishing tasks.