The Dawn of Control Science in Italy From Intuitive Engineering to Modern Control Theory and Automation Technology

This paper presents a survey of the early development of automation technology and control science in Italy. The main focus is on the crucial period from 1950 through 1970. Some attention, though, has been paid also to more ancient significant events, from the Middle Ages to the first half of the XXth century. Equally included are some hints to events that occurred in the decades following 1970. However, these more recent scientific achievements are better understood within the frame of the main international stream rather than in any local perspective. As such, they have been somewhat overlooked in the present survey.