During the middle ages through the Renaissance, Italy was the economic leader. Spain was also highly developed. After the 16th century, though, manufacturing declined in southern Europe while England and Holland took the lead. Much of the merchant class throughout Italy merged with the landowning aristocracy. Your challenge is to keep southern europe - Italy, Spain, and Portugal - as the leaders of manufacturing, trade, and finance through the early modern period, and make this the dominant region of the industrial revolution.
Put Weber out to pasture, ladies and gentlemen.