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

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...

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/...

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...

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!😊👇

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...

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

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...

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...

@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

Mia recensione di un'eccellente storia dei ricchi in occidente, di @guidoalfani.bsky.social legrandcontinent.eu/it/2025/04/2...

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%.

Tawney Lecture at EHS Guido Alfani: Economic inequality in preindustrial societies

Une histoire des riches en Occident Récension du dernier livre de @guidoalfani.bsky.social (Le Grand Continent) legrandcontinent.eu/fr/2025/04/2...

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...

A study in Nature Communications estimates income inequality in the Roman Empire and the Chinese Han Empire and finds that the Han Empire was, overall, more unequal and extractive than the Roman Empire, with the respective one-percenters earning 26% and 19% of total income. 🏺 🧪

Se il 15 aprile siete a Voghera o dintorni, unitevi a noi presso la casa-museo Gallini per una presentazione del libro "Come dèi fra gli uomini. Una storia dei ricchi in Occidente" (Laterza). Lo discuterò con @eugeniocau.bsky.social (@ilpost.it); modera Pier Ezio Ghezzi🙏

Glad to announce publication of my article (joint with @walterscheidel.bsky.social and Michele Bolla), "A comparison of income inequality in the Roman and Chinese Han empires". @naturecomms.bsky.social #RomanEmpire The article is in open access - take a look! www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Glad to have contributed to Francesca Ghiretti's Geoeconomic Competition podcast, talking about the rich and their role in society - in the past, and today. @fraghi.bsky.social www.buzzsprout.com/2307085/epis...

This week, our Chair, Morris Pearl (pictured here with guest speaker @guidoalfani.bsky.social and Professor Daniel Markovits), spoke at Yale Law School about inequality and the role of the rich in society.

Are African elites longstanding, or nouveau riche? In a new AEHN working paper I review some of the debates about- and channels through which elites are reproduced and renewed, in the context of African history. www.aehnetwork.org/working-pape...

“How have the uber rich been viewed by society, over time, and are they ripe for a re-appraisal?” Find out more during this fascinating episode of Thinking Allowed with @guidoalfani.bsky.social, author of As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

@guidoalfani.bsky.social Thanks for the contribution on Thinking Allowed - a great listen - www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

A great article by @brianklaas.bsky.social on the social role of the ultra wealthy, also discussing my book As Gods Among Men (@princetonupress.bsky.social)🙏: "Today’s ultrarich, by Alfani’s telling, are uniquely selfish... they are 'fuelling resentment and leaving their place in society uncertain'"

“In centuries past the very rich were tolerated with suspicion, because their wealth could be deployed – during a plague, a war or a financial crisis – to stabilise society. The modern super-rich are different…” www.newstatesman.com/internationa... @guidoalfani.bsky.social

Quina és la funció del rics a la nostra societat?. En aquesta entrevista a #SenseMemòria de @radio4rne.bsky.social @guidoalfani.bsky.social ens traça la història dels rics a Occident. Qui eren, com van acumular la seva riquesa i quin paper van tenir a la societat www.rtve.es/play/audios/...

Ecco i consigli di @guidoalfani.bsky.social a Globo: 📺 La serie TV “The Gilded Age” 📚 “I Buddenbrook” di Thomas Mann 🖼️ “Il corteo dei Magi” di Benozzo Gozzoli Link nelle note del podcast: www.ilpost.it/podcasts/glo...

Nella puntata di Globo di questa settimana spieghiamo perché, per capire il rapporto tra Donald Trump ed Elon Musk, bisogna partire da Cosimo de’ Medici e J.P. Morgan. Con @guidoalfani.bsky.social facciamo una bella cavalcata nella storia www.ilpost.it/podcasts/glo... @ilpost.it

Oggi podcast godibilissimo di @eugeniocau.bsky.social che intervista @guidoalfani.bsky.social su quanto il ricco, nella storia, abbia avuto influenza sul principe e su quanta ne abbia oggi. PS Guido Alfani potrebbe fare concorrenza al podcast di Alessandro Barbero 😉 www.ilpost.it/episodes/qua...

Molte grazie a Eugenio Cau per questa puntata del podcast Globo (@ilpost.it) - in cui discutiamo dei ricchi nella storia, da Cosimo de' Medici a Elon Musk... www.ilpost.it/podcasts/glo...

Very nice piece from @guidoalfani.bsky.social on inequality over the long haul with important lessons for the present. "History does not only tell us that inequality reduction is achievable, but it also . . . this is an area in which, if change is considered desirable, then action is necessary."

Sociologists working on inequality: Still time to apply for this 3yr+ postdoc position in beautiful Munich (no German required) EN: job-portal.lmu.de/jobposting/5... DE: job-portal.lmu.de/jobposting/f... Applications are 01/15, but let me know if you need another 1-2 days to put in your materials

1/7 A new @voxeu.org column. How concentrated was wealth in Western countries, across history? 👇 #EconHist #Inequality cepr.org/voxeu/column...

Top wealth shares in the long run of history (ca. 1300-today) ( @guidoalfani.bsky.social ) cepr.org/voxeu/column...

I am glad to share this promotion for the audiobook version of my history of the rich 🙂👇 70% OFF As Gods Among Men: A History of the Rich in the West www.audiobooks.com/promotions/p...

Enormously valuable resource for inequality (and other) scholars

Thanks to Hugo Camps (@hcampsm.bsky.social) for this interview about my book As Gods Among Men (@princetonupress.bsky.social‬): "The presence of the rich in society has always led to certain possible issues and concerns, which are very similar today and in the past." jacobin.com/2025/01/weal...

Reworking syllabi and… judging from recent results, and from relative exposure to AI “assistance,” it looks as if both the book review/précis and the take-home primary source analysis paper are effectively dead as viable assignments, at least for medium/large classes (25+)