IN-DEPTH NOTE
BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HISTORY OF THE INTESA SANPAOLO GROUP
Intesa Sanpaolo Spa was created on 1 January 2007 through the merger of Banca Intesa and Sanpaolo IMI. The first steps towards the integration process began on 26 August 2006 when the two banks’ boards of directors approved the guidelines of the merger plan, which was then ratified on 12 October and validated by their respective shareholders’ meetings on 1 December of that same year. Both institutions were characterised by broad, complementary coverage of all Italy, owing to the various acquisition policies implemented in the previous decades. Unification of the commercial networks was organised through Banca dei Territori: its nationwide presence was expanded by the events involving the various institutions and their integration into the group through mergers and acquisitions of banking equity investments. The new company transferred to Crédit Agricole S.A. (a former shareholder of Intesa Sanpaolo) control over the retail banks Cariparma and FriulAdria, to which Cassa di Risparmio della Spezia (CARISPE) was added in 2011.
An intense period of territorial reorganisation began in 2012, involving a number of mergers: in November of that year, the Umbrian banks were reorganised through the merger of Cassa di Risparmio di Terni e Narni, Cassa di Risparmio Città di Castello and Cassa di Risparmio di Foligno into Cassa di Risparmio di Spoleto, then renamed “Casse di Risparmio dell'Umbria”. At the same time, a brand reorganisation strategy was launched, resulting in a uniform brand at the territorial level and simplification of the operating structure.
In 2013 the merger by incorporation of Banca dell’Adriatico into Cassa di Risparmio di Ascoli Piceno gave rise to the new Banca dell'Adriatico, based in Ascoli Piceno, which would then be merged into Intesa Sanpaolo three years later. In 2014 Cassa di Risparmio di Venezia and Banca di Credito Sardo were merged into Intesa Sanpaolo, followed by Banca di Trento e Bolzano, Banca Monte Parma, Cassa di Risparmio della Provincia di Viterbo, Cassa di Risparmio di Rieti and Cassa di Risparmio di Civitavecchia the next year. In 2016 Banca dell'Adriatico was merged by incorporation into Intesa Sanpaolo, followed by Casse di Risparmio dell’Umbria. That same year, Banca 5 was created through the acquisition of 100% of Banca ITB.
Following the acquisition of the Veneto-based banks Veneto Banca and Banca Popolare di Vicenza in 2017, Banca Nuova S.p.A., a former subsidiary of Banca Popolare di Vicenza, Cassa di Risparmio del Veneto S.p.A., Cassa di Risparmio del Friuli-Venezia Giulia S.p.A., Cassa dei Risparmi di Forlì e della Romagna S.p.A. and Banco di Napoli were merged by incorporation into Intesa Sanpaolo in 2018. The process of merger of the Group banks was completed in 2019-2020 through the merger of Banca CR Firenze S.p.A., Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna S.p.A., Cassa di Risparmio di Pistoia e della Lucchesia S.p.A., Banca Apulia S.p.A., Banca Prossima S.p.A and Banca IMI.
Created by combining 320 institutions based in 189 different Italian localities of various natures – savings banks, pawnbrokers, rural banks, popular banks, ordinary credit companies, catholic banks, public entities and banks of national interest – Intesa Sanpaolo has roots that reach deep into the past. Banco di Napoli was founded in 1539, followed by Compagnia di San Paolo in 1563.
A new page of history is currently being written.
Intesa Sanpaolo’s genealogy has been reconstructed by the Intesa Sanpaolo Historical Archive and published on a website - https://mappastorica.intesasanpaolo.com/ - recently brought online.
The historical map project > https://mappastorica.intesasanpaolo.com/
The Historical Map project, created by the Intesa Sanpaolo Historical Archive, reconstructs this complex, centuries-long process. The map is organised into a full-fledged Group family tree and provides information on the history and wealth of documentation regarding the banks merged into Intesa Sanpaolo.
The genealogical map allows the various traditions of local historical memory from which Intesa Sanpaolo springs to be preserved and promoted, while also providing insight into the economic, social, cultural and political lives of territories where the institution has a widespread, longstanding presence.
It therefore may be, and indeed must be, considered an important contribution to strengthening a “participatory” local identity: the economic and social peculiarities of each institution reflect local history, promote an awareness of personal identity and provide a sense of being an integral part of a heritage of shared memories.
Some numbers:
320 banks merged into Intesa Sanpaolo
189 Italian localities (cities, towns and districts) where banks were founded
33 types of credit institutions
Site
321 pages on individual institutions
1600 images
20 pages of details regarding historical buildings
46 pages of details regarding important individuals in the banks’ history
6 areas for further exploration: - individuals; - historical buildings; - art collections; - credit for agriculture; - bankers for reconstruction; and - historical archive-keepers.
The archives
17 organisations responsible for keeping the coordinated archives
177 banks for which information/documentation is available in the Intesa Sanpaolo Historical Archive (with a reference and links to the website https://asisp.intesanpaolo.com with thousands of digitalised minutes available for online consultation up to 1960).
Press information
Intesa Sanpaolo
Media Office for Institutional, Social and Cultural Activities
Media and Associations Relations
https://group.intesasanpaolo.com/en/newsroom/news
About Intesa Sanpaolo
Intesa Sanpaolo is one of the most solid and profitable banks in Europe, providing wealth management, consumer banking, corporate and investment banking, asset management and insurance. As the market leader in Italy, Intesa Sanpaolo serves nearly 12 million customers through digital and traditional channels. The Group’s international subsidiary banks provide for an additional 7.2 million customers in Central Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Intesa Sanpaolo is recognized as one of the most sustainable banks in the world.
The Group believes that value creation should be interpreted broadly, supporting social purpose and driving the real economy. As part of its commitment to sustainable growth, Intesa Sanpaolo has created a €5 billion financing facility dedicated to the circular economy. The Group’s large-scale project for economic inclusion and poverty alleviation includes a Fund for Impact to provide €1.2 billion in loans to those parts of society that find access to credit difficult. Intesa Sanpaolo is deeply committed to cultural initiatives that it promotes on its own and together with partners in Italy and abroad, including permanent and temporary exhibits of the vast artistic patrimony at the Gallerie d’Italia, the Group’s three museums located in Milan, Naples and Vicenza.
Additional information may be found at group.intesasanpaolo.com | News: https://www.intesasanpaolo.com/it/news.html | Twitter: @intesasanpaolo | Facebook: @intesasanpaolo | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intesa-sanpaolo | Instagram: @intesasanpaolo
