Wealth inequality and epidemics in the Republic of Venice (1400–1800)

This article analyses wealth inequality in the Venetian Republic during 1400–1800 and explores the distributional effects of the 1629–30 plague that exterminated 40 per cent of the inhabitants of the area. We find that locally, differences in inequality levels were determined by closeness to the capital, altitude, and suitability of land to specific crops; across the state, the level of regressive taxation had a strong impact; and the 1630 plague, whilst it did not lead to large-scale levelling, caused a structural break in how some key variables affected inequality.