Bank of Naples

About Bank of Naples

The Banco di Napoli, founded in 1539 as the Monte della Pietà of Naples, became one of the most important banks in southern Italy. The bank initially provided charitable loans to the poor but evolved into a full public bank. The Bank of Naples financed the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It pioneered innovative banking techniques including the use of transferable receipts. The bank survived Italian unification in 1861 and two World Wars. The Bank of Naples was absorbed into the Italian banking system consolidation, eventually becoming part of Intesa Sanpaolo. The banks historical archives are among the most extensive in the world, documenting five centuries of economic and social history in southern Italy.