On the “History of the Bank of Italy” by Gianni Toniolo

Journal title ITALIA CONTEMPORANEA
Author/s Pier Francesco Asso
Publishing Year 2023 Issue 2023/303
Language Italian Pages 15 P. 268-282 File size 0 KB
DOI 10.3280/ic303-oa2
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This paper presents the main themes of Gianni Toniolo’s recent volume dedicated to the history of the Bank of Italy between its foundation (1893) and the fall of fascism (1943). Discussing recent contributions on the history of “central banking”, the paper shows how the contrast between the “evolution” and the “building” of a central bank represents a useful, albeit partial, key for re-reading the history of the Bank of Italy. While in the Giolitti era the Bank vigorously asserts its role in the defense of monetary stability and in the pursuit of the public interest, in the interwar years there was a progressive downsizing of its main functions of monetary and foreign exchange policy. In this phase, with the Banking Acts of 1926 and 1936, the making of new rules prevailed, that directed the Bank of Italy to carry out supervisory tasks to protect the stability of the Italian banking system.

Keywords: ; history of the Bank of Italy, history of central banks, history of monetary policy, Italian economy in the interwar years, Bonaldo Stringher, Gianni Toniolo

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Pier Francesco Asso, Sulla Storia della Banca d’Italia di Gianni Toniolo in "ITALIA CONTEMPORANEA" 303/2023, pp 268-282, DOI: 10.3280/ic303-oa2