EH.N: CfP: Banks and Bankers in Italy and Switzerland: Financial Structures, Markets and Investments (XVI-XXI centuries)

[Giuseppe De Luca]

The Interuniversity Centre for Research on Italian Financial History 
(Cirsfi) and the Centre for the History of Switzerland are organizing an 
international symposium on Banks and Bankers in Italy and Switzerland: 
Financial Structures, Markets and Investments (XVI-XXI centuries)

The congress aims at fostering empirical research and literature-based 
debates on wide-range links between the Italian and Swiss financial 
structure over the last five centuries, with particular emphasis on the 
dynamics of the last two hundred years. While the importance of the 
Swiss financial presence within the long-term pattern of the Italian 
financial framework has been already investigated, a comprehensive 
analysis of the relationships between the two systems is lacking, as 
well as an in-depth comparison. We want to undertake these perspectives, 
focusing on macroeconomics aspects as well as on micro ones, in order to 
grasp the inner workings and operations. Cultural, political and social 
factors could be investigated as an integral part of the financial 
relationships, too.

Possible topics (that could be approached from the perspective of early 
modern age as well as contemporary one) are:
- Italian and Swiss banking system (in a comparative perspective and/or 
with particular stress on their components such as local, cantonal or 
big banks)
- Origin, dynamics and trend of the financial markets in the two countries
- Formal and informal financial networks
- Financial relationships, with particular attention to people (bankers, 
moneychangers, businessmen, entrepreneurs), institutions and 
organizations (laws, banks, exchange authorities), capital (legal and 
illegal flight of capital, public debt investments, stocks), money 
(exchange rates, monetary unions), theories and debates.

Both 25-minute lectures and 10-minute reports are admitted. A 
preparatory workshop will be held in October 2009, while the 
international congress will take place in spring 2011.

Paper proposals, including a 200-400 words abstract, should be submitted 
to giuseppe.deluca at unimi.it by March 31, 2009. The languages of  the 
workshop will be English, Italian, German and French.

No registration fees are needed. However travel expenses, room and board 
are not provided. Researchers still not employed at universities or at 
other institutions can apply for a grant. The Organizing Committee will 
consider the requests and will communicate the decision and the amount 
of contribution, as soon as possible. Please send your request with the 
paper proposal.

Best regards,

The organizers
Angelo Moioli, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milano,
angelo.moioli at unicaat.it
Fausto Piola Caselli, Universita degli Studi di Cassino,
piola at unicas.it
Giuseppe De Luca, Universita degli Studi di Milano,
giuseppe.deluca at unimi.it
Roberto Romano, Universita degli Studi di Milano,
roberto.romano at unimi.it
Luciano Segreto, Universita degli Studi di Firenze,
segreto at studistato.unifi.it

For further information please contact:

Giuseppe De Luca
Dipartimento di storia della societe e delle istituzioni
Via Livorno, 1
20122 Milano
tel. +390250318913=20
fax. +390250318919=20
E-mail: giuseppe.deluca at unimi.it