@guidoalfani
Economic historian & Historical demographer at Bocconi University, Milan. Affiliated scholar of the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality, NY. Working on the history of inequality and social mobility and on the history of pandemics & other catastrophes
Abstract text of working paper
What do we know - and what should we know - about economic inequality and social mobility in preindustrial societies? This new WP by our Affiliated Scholar @guidoalfani.bsky.social identifies the main gaps that need to be filled in reconstructions of wealth & income distributions.
bit.ly/4l26cWx
🎙️ New episode of Dondena Decode - @bocconi.bsky.social
❔How can the past tell us something about democracy today?
@mariacarreri.bsky.social interviews @stasavage.bsky.social
(NYU) on history, power, and democratic institutions!
🎧 Listen now: open.spotify.com/episode/7i3u...
Un mio nuovo articolo su Il Sole 24 Ore, sulla povertà negli Stati Uniti. Com'è possibile che un Paese così ricco sia così reticente ad aiutare i suoi cittadini? Per capirlo, credo che si debba guardare anche alla storia 👇
Il ricco Paese dove dilaga la povertà www.ilsole24ore.com/art/il-ricco...
In which I discuss the Broligarchs with the brilliant economic historian @guidoalfani.bsky.social of Bocconi University in Milan:
Un mio TED Talk, sul tema: "Sette secoli di disuguaglianza e (scarsa) mobilità sociale"... #inequality🙂👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttGX...
🎙️New episode of Dondena Decode out now!
🌍 How will trade wars affect inequality, and which model of capitalism will prevail? Mattia Fochesato, from
Bocconi University, interviews Professor @brankomilan.bsky.social from
@stone-lis.bsky.social
🎧 Listen here:
open.spotify.com/episode/5czA...
🎙️ A new episode of Dondena Decode is out!
📌Nicoletta Balbo interviews Léa Pessin, on how AI-generated images can help us explore how individuals perceive, and react to, specific situations! @bocconi.bsky.social
🎧Listen at: open.spotify.com/episode/4yiy...
open.spotify.com/episode/4yiy...
Glad to announce that the Dondena Annual Lecture 2025 is now online: delivered by Nobel laureate James Robinson, on the topic "Democracy in the 21st Century. Hierarchy, Egalitarianism and the Struggle over New Institutions"
@dondenacentre.bsky.social 👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1A1...
🎙️ New episode of Dondena Decode is out!
📌 In this episode, Valeria Giacomin interviews Leandro Prados de la Escosura, who talks to us about economic freedom and well-being, and how they have evolved over time.
🎧 Listen here: open.spotify.com/episode/68FN...
#DondenaDecode #Podcast
as professor Robinson argues:
"To me, the crisis of modern democracy in large parts of the world is really a crisis of [...] the ideological foundations of democracy, in some sense. People stopped believeing in democracy as the best system of government"
In this episode of the Dondena Decode podcast I have the honour of interviewing Nobel laureate James Robinson on the reasons why modern democracy is proving to be a fragile institution, on the importance of studying the past, on the consequences of getting a Nobel...
open.spotify.com/episode/4CqO...
Oggi sul Sole 24 Ore: un mio articolo sulla distribuzione del reddito in tempi di rivoluzione tecnologica. Durante la Rivoluzione Industriale, le classi lavoratrici dovettero attendere un secolo prima d’iniziare a beneficiare del progresso. Sarà diverso con l'IA?
www.ilsole24ore.com/art/redistri...
@jacozuijderduijn.bsky.social
There is still time to apply for the 2026 Datini-Ester seminar on "Craft Guilds & Unions"! All PhD students working on these topics are welcome to apply! Join us in beautiful Prato (Tuscany) for this funded experience! (deadline November 15)
www.istitutodatini.it/ester/htm/ca...
Grazie a @wired.it per avermi invitato al Wired Next Fest Trentino 2025, a discutere di ricchi e concentrazione della ricchezza con Emiliano Audisio👇
www.wired.it/video/watch/...
Thanks! 🙏It has been great hosting you all in Milan!
The link to attend the conference via zoom can also be found below (scroll to the bottom of the page). Among the participants, @brankomilan.bsky.social @jrodriguezweber.bsky.social @artolam.bsky.social @ggabbuti.bsky.social @martinhist.bsky.social and many others!
www.unibocconi.it/it/eventi/in...
Next Monday (Oct 6) the two-days conference "Inequality & History" will begin, hosted by @dondenacentre.bsky.social at Bocconi University (Milan). Join us to explore & debate inequality across history, from Classical Antiquity until today! Remote attendance possible; QR code in the program below👇
🎙️ New episode of Dondena Decode!
In this episode, Sonia Schifano (Bocconi University) interviews Fabian Drixler from Yale University on his research between climate and economy in history!!
📷 Listen at: 👉
open.spotify.com/episode/0YDR...
And here is the book! (@princetonupress.bsky.social)
press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
I am proud to announce that my book "As Gods Among Men. A History of the Rich in the West" has been awarded the Ranki Biennial Prize by the Economic History Association!😊👇
In Renaissance Florence, the Medici family had the habit of holding a procession on the Feast of the Epiphany dressed as the Three Wise Men. Why would this matter for our understanding of social mobility in the past - and maybe not only in the past...? 👇
Glimpses from the Lecture: in the last seven centuries or so, inequality grew almost constantly - the only phases of decline were triggered by major catastrophes (the interpretation of the data is slightly less depressing that it might seem...) (but just slightly, mind...)👇
The recording of the Tawney Lecture on "Economic Inequality and Social Mobility in Preindustrial Societies", which I had the honour to deliver in Glasgow last spring, is now online! Thanks
@echistsoc.bsky.social for inviting me.
ehs.org.uk/multimedia/t...
🎙️ New episode of Dondena Decode!
How might climate change impact our health and the spread of infectious diseases? 🌍🦠
In this episode, Mattia Fochesato interviews @joacimrocklov.bsky.social (Heidelberg Institute of Global Health & IWR).
👉 Listen here:
open.spotify.com/episode/0YZh...
Now on Early View: 'Wealth inequality and epidemics in the Republic of Venice (1400–1800)'.
By Guido Alfani, Matteo Di Tullio & Mattia Fochesato.
@guidoalfani.bsky.social @stone-lis.bsky.social
@uni-of-warwick.bsky.social
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
We are delighted to announce the 2025 Dondena Lecture ! 🎉
@bocconi.bsky.social
📌 Democracy in the 21st Century: Hierarchy, Egalitarianism and the Struggle over New Institutions
🗓️ 22 Sept 2025 | 6:15–7:45 PM
📍 Aula Manfredini
🎤 James Robinson, Nobel Laureate in ES 2024
🔗 Registration required
The call for the 2026 Datini-Ester seminar "From Craft Guilds to Unions" is now open! All PhD students working on these topics are welcome to apply! Join us in beautiful Prato (Tuscany) for this great experience! (deadline October 15)
istitutodatini.it/ester/htm/ca...
🎙️In Episode 2 of Dondena Decode, @pablogracia.bsky.social discusses how young people are spending their time in today’s digital world!
Listen: open.spotify.com/episode/2eam...
open.spotify.com/episode/2eam...