The papers provide a collective account through the many different types of documents they contain: this is the wealth of sources in Intesa Sanpaolo’s Historical Archives.
A documentary heritage
Not just banking documents, but papers telling the stories of families and their lives, the history of Italian businesses and the vicissitudes of the entire country: thousands of historical sources open to everyone in Intesa Sanpaolo’s Historical Archives.
Photographic archives
280,000 photographs dating from the mid-19th century onwards, a record of the banking institutions incorporated with Intesa Sanpaolo, enhanced with invaluable donations from private owners.
The iconographic and museum catalogue
In this section, objects meet paper and the Archives become a museum, with a collection of over 20,000 drawings, pieces of commercial art, coins, medals, money boxes and calculating machines.
The audio-visual and multimedia section
The history of Intesa Sanpaolo and the many banking institutions that have joined the Group, told through 3,400 videos: events, documentaries, interviews, press conferences, newspaper reports, commercials and home movies.
The historical library
Thousands of volumes belonging to the historical libraries and a copy of publications issued by Intesa Sanpaolo and its previous banking institutions: this is the rich literary heritage held by the Historical Archives, open to everyone for consultation.
Publifoto Archives
A photographic record of Italian history from 1937 to the 1990s: Intesa Sanpaolo’s Publifoto Archives. Acquired in 2015, this national cultural asset is now safeguarded and showcased with the utmost care by the Historical Archives
A vast cultural heritage protected and enhanced for the scholars of today and tomorrow
Intesa Sanpaolo’s Historical Archives started life in 1984 as the historical archives of Banca Commerciale Italiana; their aim is to safeguard and make accessible the great documentary heritage of a business whose roots date back to the 16th century, one which has grown over time by incorporating over 300 different banking institutions.
This task gives the Historical Archives a key role in promoting the financial and non-financial history of nineteenth and twentieth century Italy.
