The regulatory framework

With due regard to the confidential nature of banking sources and the ongoing reorganisation of the collections, the Historical Archives grant the widest access to the documents in observance of current legislation on archive consultation: forty years from issue for documents in general and seventy years for documents relating to private personal matters (Ethical Code; procedure N°. 8/P of 14 March 2001 issued by the Data Protection Authority, Article 10, and Cultural Heritage Code, Decree Law N°. 42/2004).

The Historical Archives staff comply with the principles of free access to the sources, and of fairness and non-discrimination towards users in observance of Articles 1 and 5 of the aforementioned Ethical Code. Users accessing the sources are responsible for processing and disclosing the confidential and sensitive information contained in the documents in an appropriate manner, and subscribe to Articles 9-11 of the Ethical Code.

The Historical Archives also safeguard data on customers’ assets and liabilities as well as individual aspects of bank employees’ working relationships, in accordance with Article 14 of this regulation.

Request for access

As well as employees of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, for proven work-related needs, the Archives are also open for consultation by academics, researchers and graduate students. The latter require a letter of introduction from their degree thesis supervisor.

Requests for access must be accompanied by a plan outlining the research purposes and methodology.

As part of their request, users must:

1) accept liability for processing and disclosing the information (as set out in Article 11, paragraph 3);

2) declare that they are aware of current copyright legislation;

3) undertake to deliver at least one copy of each publication, thesis or other document resulting from the consultation, even when such are produced at a later date.

Authorisation

Authorisation to consult documents kept in the Historical Archives and/or the information contained therein may consist of free access, for those parts of the Archive open to consultation by all, special access or access to the historical information service, as set out in the articles below.

Special access

Depending on the research project presented, the Director of the Historical Archives may grant exceptional access to documents not yet archived, depending on planning constraints and the available resources.

Authorisation for special access may, in some cases, include restrictions: individual documents or files may be exempt from consultation until the legal seventy-year confidentiality period has expired, and reproduction may be prohibited.

Particular attention is paid to the relevance of the documents requested for the purposes of the research project.

Historical information service

The historical information service answers specific requests on the availability of sources not yet available to the public and on questions of a historical nature.

Priority is given to internal, business-related requests from members of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group.

Consultation method

Consultations are permitted by appointment, and only in the areas of the Historical Archives used for this purpose. Consultations take place in the presence of a staff member.

Visitors must show proof of identification when registering at the start of the consultation and sign the daily visitors’ register.

The Reading Rooms are open for consultation on weekdays between 9.00 a.m. and 2 p.m., they are closed for five weeks from the third week of July and when required for logistical or inventory-related purposes.

Consultation service

Reading Room staff assist users and provide inventories and guidance to help them carry out their research activities. Staff update their historical, administrative and technological competences for this purpose.

For ease of consultation, the Reading Room provides users with computerised guides to the collections, inventories and other research tools, also accessible via the website.

Rules of conduct
Coats, overcoats, bags, briefcases and other containers must not be brought into the Reading Rooms.
Fountain pens, scanners, mobile telephones, recording devices and similar must not be used.
Express permission must be sought if photographic devices are required for specific purposes. Laptop computers may be used. Visitors must take the utmost care not to spoil or damage the folders, files and individual documents at their disposal. They must also use the equipment in the Reading Rooms correctly, paying particular attention to the microfilm readers and hardware at their disposal; USB pens and other supports must not be used with these devices.

Procedures for the reproduction of documents

A limited amount of documents may be reproduced free of charge for individual study purposes. Paper and digital copies may not be transferred to other parties.

Requests of a particularly sensitive nature must be approved by the Director of the Historical Archives.

Permission to photocopy or digitise materials does not grant third parties ownership or copyright over the same.

Procedures for the publication of documents

Extracts, quotations and the reproduction of parts of documents are permitted for historical or scientific research and teaching purposes. Express reference must be made to the archive and documents consulted in all publications.

Documents may not be published in their entirety without the express approval of the Director of the Historical Archives.

Copyright

Intesa Sanpaolo retains copyright and economic ownership of all documents produced as part of its business functions.

The use of documents, photographs, audio-visual and multimedia materials for editorial purposes is subject to express written approval; to this end, an agreed number of finished copies must be delivered or a sum paid in proportion to the size of the request.

Private archives donated or deposited by the Bank’s executives or their descendants containing documents considered “creative and intellectual works” will be governed by copyright regulations.

Sanctions

Acts of negligence or breach of the regulations set out in Articles 11-12 and 18-21 above may lead to a refusal to accept further consultation requests.