A 100-year anniversary provides an opportunity for self-reflection, a chance to look back over one’s own history and to set the course for the future. As a bank, we support the country and the real economy, assisting families and companies responsibly, and work together to build a sustainable tomorrow.

Fabio Gallia, CEO and General Manager of BNL

BNL has been one of the main architects of Italy’s development throughout the 20th century, from financing large infrastructure projects to supporting artisans, small businesses and larger companies achieve their goals to expand, modernise or enter foreign markets.

Over the past 100 years, the history of BNL has closely intertwined with the history of Italy and Europe at large, from two wars to a dictatorship;from the economic crisis of 1929 to the economic boom that followed.

Founded in 1913 as the Istituto Nazionale di Credito per la Cooperazione, the bank became the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro in 1929. The name, which means the “National Bank for Employment”, illustrates BNL’s attachment to its origins and its resilient investment in work.  It also reflects the bank’s commitment to its country, to supporting Italian employment and the real economy.

BNL’s centennial provides the chance to retrace its history, to learn more about it, and to build a bridge between the past and the present.”