Un filosofo in banca

Antonello Gerbi (1904-1976), head of Banca Commerciale Italiana’s Research Department from 1932 to 1938 and 1948 to 1970, was feted as one of the most eminent scholars of the history of ideas and a leading pioneer and exponent of American studies in Italy. With the advent of Italy’s anti-Jewish laws, between 1938 and 1948 he was based in Lima with a subsidiary of Comit. Gerbi was a versatile figure who was aware of the new languages of his day such as photography, film and radio.

His family donated Antonello Gerbi’s personal papers to Intesa Sanpaolo’s Historical Archives, and they were subsequently reorganised and inventoried. Philosophical and journalistic papers, correspondence, photographs, pamphlets and press cuttings make up a concise source of original evidence on Italy’s intellectual life from the time of Fascism to after the Second World War, on the ruling elite appointed by Raffaele Mattioli and the lives of Jewish families affected by the race laws.