Historical collections
The Bocconi University library preserves collections of historical interest that include documents published between the 16th century and the very first decades of the 20th century.
The collection of antique books includes some valuable 16th-century works on commercial law, collected by Prof. Angelo Sraffa and donated to the Library upon his death.
The collections of periodicals include the complete sets of important historical journals, such as that of the The Economist or Giornale degli economisti, along with some of the magazines that have marked the history of Italian accounting (Rivista dei ragionieri or the Bollettino del collegio dei ragionieri in Milan) and titles that testify to the history of economic development in our country (L’Ufficio moderno and l’Impresa moderna).
A series of publications – such as the Yearbook or Bollettino dell’Associazione among Graduates, edited by the University since its founding in 1902 and mainly for internal use – chronicles the history of the University, similar to the complete collection of theses discussed since the first graduation session in 1906 and the collection of handouts from lectures given at the University from 1902 to 1945, which recounts the University's teaching activities in the first decades of its existence.
Bocconi’s Yearbook – published starting from the first 1902-1903 academic year – contains course syllabi, speeches from the academic year opening ceremony, and news about the University departments and degree programs. It has been completely digitized and is available in the dedicated collection on the Library & Archives portal.
Lastly, part of the historical collections, which are described on a dedicated page of Library & Archives portal, are comprised of book donations by individuals who carried out teaching activities and held roles of responsibility within the University, such as those by Gino Zappa and Giordano Dell’Amore for business administration, as well as that of Angelo Sraffa for law.
These collections highlight their intellectual paths and testify to the founding and development of economic studies in Italy.