Elite persistence in medieval Venice after the Black Death

• Adelaide Baronchelli ^[1] ; Ricciuti Roberto ^[2] ; Viale Mattia ^[2]
  1. [1] University of Turin

     University of Turin

     Torino, Italia

     
  2. [2] University of Verona

     University of Verona

     Verona, Italia

     
• Localización: Rivista di storia economica, ISSN 0393-3415, Vol. 41, Nº. 3, 2025, págs. 307-329
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1410/118755
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • This paper studies how the plague in 1348 affected the power structure in Venice. Using data from "The Rulers of Venice, 1332-1524" dataset, we conceptualize the Venetian structure of power as a two-mode network where relevant political houses are associated with the offices in which their members were elected. Three results emerge: participation widened while capacity tightened – more houses appear in office-holding even as total offices contract, mainly at the base; the house-office network becomes denser; and re-ranking is selective rather than wholesale – the apex largely persists while some prominent houses lose ground and others move up.