Human capital is generally regarded as one of the most important determinants of economic growth and development.

Rapid human capital accumulation was prompted by the rise of mass-education systems in the 19th century – due to political changes and the growing role played by nation states -, which have sustained economic development in the last two hundred years.

The pre-modern roots of enduring human capital inequalities between- and within-countries (spatial inequality) remain debated.

Little is known about the extent to which crafts guilds and apprenticeship may be seen as the origin of solid traditions concerning technical education and therefore sustained human capital accumulation.

Similarly, we still know little about the institutions and social arrangements that fostered the formation of early human capital and sustained industrialization and modern economic growth.

This project aims to fill this gap.

We investigate the case of Italy’s long-lasting regional inequality, exploiting the large heterogeneity across the Italian territory in the organization and diffusion of guilds and apprenticeship.