Group History Banco Ambrosiano Veneto, Cariplo and Banca Commerciale Italiana are the three banks which formed Banca Intesa, the largest banking group in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. The three banks decided to join forces and share their distinctive competences, professionalism and commercial networks to offer customers an undoubtedly valuable service, suited to all types of needs. Banco Ambrosiano Veneto Banco Ambrosiano Veneto (BAV), which was formed in 1989 through the merger of Nuovo Banco Ambrosiano with Banca Cattolica del Veneto, two banks well-rooted in the territory with more than one hundred years of history and activity behind them, soon distinguished itself in Italy for its dynamism, competence and capability of aggregating other local entities. In the period 1991-1995 BAV acquired control of certain banks, such as Banca Vallone di Galatina, Citibank Italia (later named Banco Ambroveneto Sud), Società di Banche Siciliane, Banca Massicana di Sessa Aurunca and Banca di Trento e Bolzano, which in a short time enabled it to project the experience originally gained in the Northern regions, mostly Lombardia and Triveneto, on the whole of the Italian territory. At the same time the Bank strengthened its position on world financial markets with the purchase of Caboto, destined to become one of the major European investment banks. The need to augment its size, which was increasingly perceived by the Italian and international banking system, later forced BAV to seek a qualified partner to reach the critical mass which would enable it to play a forefront role in all markets. Pursuing that objective, in 1997 BAV realised an alliance with Cariplo, the largest saving bank in the world, with which it formed Banca Intesa in 1998. A large private banking group was therefore created, capable of competing with adequate means on local and international markets with ambitious growth objectives in every financial area. With the subsequent integration of Banca Commerciale Italiana (May 2001) the Group was named IntesaBci and it is now at the top of the Italian banking system and among the major international players. Cariplo - Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde was established in 1823, by initiative of the count Giovanni Pietro Porro, in one of the most flourishing regions of the Austrian Empire: its mission was to favour the formation of household savings in the Lombard area. During the second half of the XIX century the Reign of Italy was moving its first steps and the Saving Bank expanded its operations to the financing of agricultural, industrial and commercial activities. At the beginning of 1900, Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde had already achieved a considerable soundness so as to later become a fundamental reference point for enterprises facing the serious crisis of the Great War. That situation consolidated the strong social sensitiveness which is still now an ideal and operating asset of IntesaBci. In the post World War II period, the Saving Bank is among the protagonists in the reconstruction of Milano. In the Fifties, during the Italian economic boom, it increased its activities in medium-term loans, especially in favour of lower-sized enterprises, through the foundation of Mediocredito Lombardo. Starting from the Sixties, Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde was practically a commercial bank and in the following two decades it achieved a considerable territorial presence in Italy and abroad. In 1991, an important restructuring led to the merger of the subsidiary IBI and to the contribution by Ente Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde of its banking activities to a new company named Cariplo SpA. Ente Cassa di Risparmio delle Provincie Lombarde, after that contribution, took the name of Fondazione Cariplo and pursues objectives of public interest and social benefit and solidarity. In 1997 the Chairman of Fondazione Cariplo, Giuseppe Guzzetti, and the Chairman of Banco Ambrosiano Veneto (BAV), Giovanni Bazoli signed an agreement for the integration between Cariplo and BAV which gave birth to Banca Intesa. A large private banking group was therefore created, capable of competing with adequate means on local and international markets with ambitious growth objectives in every financial area. With the subsequent merger of Banca Commerciale Italiana (May 2001) the Group was named IntesaBci and it is now at the top of the Italian banking system and among the major international players. Banca Commerciale Italiana Founded in 1894 in Milan with the contribution of German, Austrian and Swiss capital, Banca Commerciale Italiana (BCI) for over a century was an important component of the Italian banking system and the Bank with the greatest presence abroad. After having established, in joint venture with two French banks, a company for South America, in 1911 BCI inaugurated in London the first branch of an Italian bank in a foreign Country, followed by the branch in New York and as time passed by more and more numerous branches and equity investments in various Countries worldwide. Until the beginning of the Thirties, BCI also operated as an investment bank, acquiring equity investments in industrial companies. In 1933 IRI (the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction) acquired the control of the Bank which, three years later, with the issue of the Banking Law, became a short-term bank. The following year, in 1937, together with Banco di Roma and Credito Italiano, BCI was designated “Banca d'Interesse Nazionale” (Bank of National Interest), as it already had branches in at least thirty provinces. With those two banks, in the years following World War II, BCI founded Mediobanca, of which it held a 8.9% stake. In the Sixties the Bank based in Piazza della Scala further expanded its foreign network and, in Italy, acquired control of Banco di Chiavari e della Riviera Ligure and of Banca di Legnano (later sold to Banca Popolare di Milano). At the beginning of the Eighties BCI founded Banca Commerciale Italiana of Canada and Banca Commerciale Italiana (Suisse). In the centenary from its foundation, Banca Commerciale Italiana was privatised. After having acquired control of Cassa di Risparmio di Biella e Vercelli (Biverbanca) in Italy, in the three-year period 1998-2000 BCI further developed its international presence with the integration in its gruop of numerous important banks: Central-European International Bank of Budapest, Banco America do Sul of Saġ Paolo, Banco Wiese of Lima (integrated with Banco de Lima Sudameris), Privredna Banka of Zagreb and Banco Caja de Aborro y Seguros of Buenos Ayres (incorporated in Banco Sudameris Argentina). Following a tender offer, made by Banca Intesa and completed in December 1999, Banca Commerciale Italiana was incorporated in the new Group. In May 2001 BCI was merged with Banca Intesa and took the name of IntesaBci.