Guido Alfani
@guidoalfani.bsky.social
1.7K followers 160 following 49 posts
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
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guidoalfani.bsky.social
Thanks! 🙏It has been great hosting you all in Milan!
guidoalfani.bsky.social
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👇
Reposted by Guido Alfani
dondenacentre.bsky.social
🎙️ 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...
Dondena Decode - Episode 4
open.spotify.com
guidoalfani.bsky.social
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!😊👇
guidoalfani.bsky.social
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...? 👇
guidoalfani.bsky.social
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...)👇
guidoalfani.bsky.social
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...
Tawney Lecture 2025: Economic inequality and social mobility in preindustrial societies - Economic History Society
ehs.org.uk
Reposted by Guido Alfani
dondenacentre.bsky.social
🎙️ 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...
Dondena Decode - Episode 3
open.spotify.com
Reposted by Guido Alfani
dondenacentre.bsky.social
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
guidoalfani.bsky.social
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...
Reposted by Guido Alfani
guidoalfani.bsky.social
I am proud to announce the first episode of Dondena Decode, a new social science podcast. In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing Cormac Ó Gráda (UC Dublin) on the consequences of the World Wars, for the civilians and for the economy. #EconHist
dondenacentre.bsky.social
🎙️ It’s here! The very first episode of Dondena Decode is live!

A podcast that unpacks today’s complex social issues—in less than 10 minutes.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify 👇

open.spotify.com/episode/01s1...
Dondena Decode - Episode 1
Dondena Decode · Episode
open.spotify.com
Reposted by Guido Alfani
stone-lis.bsky.social
A new WP by @guidoalfani.bsky.social provides the most in-depth examination of factors affecting inequality at the local level of any preindustrial society, and adds to our understanding of the distributional effects of epidemics.

stonecenter.gc.cuny.edu/research/wea...
guidoalfani.bsky.social
Un bell'articolo di Elena Tebano (Corriere della Sera) sui super-ricchi, che riprende anche il mio libro Come Dèi fra gli Uomini. Una Storia dei Ricchi in Occidente (Laterza) 🙏
www.corriere.it/economia/fin...
www.corriere.it
Reposted by Guido Alfani
jbaezvalencia.bsky.social
@guidoalfani.bsky.social's spectacular lecture from his research on wealth and the rich, with a constant question: How were these agents perceived, when he spoke of the Medici he reminded me how in 1291 there was an order called ‘ordinamenti della giustizia’

1/2
Reposted by Guido Alfani
brankomilan.bsky.social
Social structure of the Han China ~150 CE from the new paper by Guido Alfani, Michele Bolla & Walter Scheidel, w/ the top elite (excl. the imperial household) income some 6,500 the country mean, Gini of 46 (almost the same as in today's China) & inequality extraction ratio of 100%.
Reposted by Guido Alfani
hillaryvipond.bsky.social
Tawney Lecture at EHS

Guido Alfani: Economic inequality in preindustrial societies
guidoalfani.bsky.social
Il 6 maggio, torneremo sul tema in occasione della Tavola Rotonda "The Civilian Victims of War", presso il Centro Dondena. Sarà possibile anche partecipare da remoto, via Zoom. Informazioni aggiuntive alla pagina dell'evento👇 @dondenacentre.bsky.social
dondena.unibocconi.eu/news-events/...
Round Table: The Civilian Victims of War | Dondena
dondena.unibocconi.eu
guidoalfani.bsky.social
Che cosa pensano gli Italiani della guerra? I risultati di un'indagine dell'Osservatorio Monitoring Democracy dell'Università Bocconi. Gli articoli a corredo approfondiscono il tema da varie prospettive, inclusa quella storica (a 60 anni dalla fine di WWII)
www.unibocconi.it/it/news/otta...
Ottant’anni dopo: la guerra nella mente degli italiani - Università Bocconi
Un’indagine del Monitoring Democracy del Dipartimento di Scienze Sociali e Politiche della Bocconi su percezioni, paure e fiducia nelle istituzioni rivela un presente segnato da insicurezze globali e ...
www.unibocconi.it