Francesca Trivellato

About the Author

Francesca Trivellato is a distinguished historian specializing in early modern European economic and social history, with a particular focus on the Mediterranean world and the Jewish diaspora. A professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, she has reshaped our understanding of commerce, credit, and cultural exchange through meticulous archival research and interdisciplinary approaches. Her work illuminates the intricate dynamics of trade networks, challenging traditional narratives of economic development and social exclusion. In her acclaimed book, The Promise and Peril of Credit: What a Forgotten Legend about Jews and Finance Tells Us about the Making of European Commercial Society (Histories of Economic Life Book 8), Trivellato explores how myths surrounding Jewish moneylending influenced the evolution of European financial systems, offering profound insights into the interplay of prejudice, innovation, and market formation. Her scholarship bridges history, economics, and anthropology, making complex historical processes accessible and relevant to contemporary debates on globalization and identity.