In the second half of the 19th Century, major economic changes took place in Switzerland and Northern Italy, where the dairy sector had a long-term important role. The dissemination of scientific knowledge and new machines contributed to the modernisation of traditional processing, as the production of butter or milk storage. At the same time, the improvement of road communications and, above all, the development of railways (made much more efficient by the opening of the Gotthard tunnel in 1882) multiplied the opportunities for exchange between the two sides of the Rhaetian Alps. changes also occurred in the production of cheese, activities that began to separate from the primary sector to find its headquarters also in industrial enterprises, some of them with wide commercial networks.
The contribution aims to highlight some features of this transformation, emphasizing the common routes and the peculiarities of two environments in close contact with each other. The Swiss institutions and operators were usually the channel to bring in the Po Valley new techniques and modern entrepreneurial experiences. The paper also addresses the dynamics of commercial interchange, affected by the trade policies adopted and the agreements signed between the Italian and the Swiss Confederation Governments
