Paolo Prodi (Scandiano, 1932 – Bologna, 2016) was a historian, politician, and university professor, an expert in the history of Roman and canon law. He taught Modern History at the Universities of Trento, Rome, and Bologna. He was one of the founders of the journal Il Mulino, which later gave rise to the eponymous and celebrated Italian essay publishing house, and in 1973 he founded the Italian-German Historical Institute, which he directed for more than two decades. His many books include A History of Justice: From the Plurality of Jurisdictions to the Modern Dualism between Conscience and Law and The Sovereign Pontiff: One Body and Two Souls . Acantilado has published Séptimo: Thou Shalt Not Steal: Theft and the Market in the History of the West (2024).