The richness and variety of François Perroux's economic theories and reflections have allowed the literature to highlight several connections between him and other authors: E.Chamberlin, A.Cournot, F. von Hayek, J. Hicks, N.Kaldor, J.M.Keynes, V.Leontief, L. von Mises, and W.Sombart and moreover H.Saint-Simon, for the concept of industrialization, K. Marx, for the importance given to the relation between economic and social facts and to the role of power, J.Schumpeter, for the notion of “innovating entrepreneur” and T.Scitovsky, for the concept of external economies.

Among the names mentioned in the literature on Perroux an economist is, however, conspicuous by his absence: Alfred Marshall.

Only recently two French scholars have underlined the existence of a possible connection between Marshall and Perroux: Michele Quéré (2010) who stresses the fact that Perroux recognizes Marshall as the crucial pioneer for the concept of external economies; and Bernard Gerbier (2006) who underlines the resemblance between Marshall's concept of “economic chivalry” and Perroux's idea of “économie du don”.

Yet, the relations between Marshall and Perroux are more numerous and run more deeply. Interesting resemblances between the two involve, for instance, the conception of economic science, the methodological approach, the concepts of growth, development, progress and evolution.

Main aim of this paper is to inquiry into the several Marshallian roots that seem to impinge on Perroux' economic and social thought and that are mainly neglected in a large part of the literature.