Beneath the surface: What medieval mobility reveals about intergenerational wealth transmission

The Middle Ages are widely understood as an era of economic immobility. This column uncovers a more nuanced picture. Wealth transmission in late medieval Florence was characterised by both mobility and persistence. While there was a notable degree of social mobility across adjacent generations, privilege tended to persist over longer horizons. Social and political networks played a significant role in generating such persistence, with families embedded in marriage networks and political institutions securing prosperity and status. The findings provide a historical perspective on the dynamics of wealth transmission.