Introduction
This exhibit is dedicated to Angelo Sraffa (1865-1937), lawyer, Professor of Commercial Law and Bocconi University Rector. A well-read scholar with multiple interests, he was passionate about literature and history, and was a sophisticated book collector.
Sraffa dedicated a significant part of his life to Bocconi University: from being called among the first Professors of the University in 1902, the role as Rector held between 1917 and 1926, until his resignation from the University Board in 1934. He died a few years later in 1937, but his bond with the University has remained alive over time, thanks in part to the cultural legacy he left there.
In 1934, the Institute of Comparative Commercial Law was founded, named after him. In 1938 his wife, Irma Tivoli, and son Piero donated a significant part of his law library to the University. A second important donation came in 1961, when Piero Sraffa sent a further section of his father's well-stocked library, including numerous literary works from Italy and abroad.
This exhibit looks at the key moments in Sraffa's time at Bocconi through the sources preserved in the University's Historical Archives, providing an itinerary through his books. They paint a portrait of the man, the jurist, the collector and the dense network of relationships built over time with colleagues, students and friends.
The initiative is part of Bocconi University's broader commitment to the promotion of its archival and book heritage.