The Making of the Modern Corporation: The Casa di San Giorgio and its Legacy (1446-1720)

This book explores the origins of the modern corporation in Genoa and its spread to England,the Netherlands,and France, tracing the evolution of the Casa di San Giorgio from a financial institution to a powerful entity with financial, political, and territorial powers. Niccolò Machiavelli was the first to analyze the relationship between the Casa di San Giorgio's financial and territorial powers.

Format: Hardback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 01 June 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into the historical origins of a financial institution, the modern corporation, in Genoa and its subsequent spread across England, the Netherlands, and France. Initially established as the Casa di San Giorgio in 1407, it was tasked with managing the public debt in Genoa. Over time, this institution evolved to assume powers traditionally associated with banks and states, acquiring financial characteristics and wielding fiscal, political, and territorial authority. As one of the earliest central banks, it exerted control over territories and local populations for nearly a century. It oversaw strategic Genoese possessions, including the island of Corsica, the city of Famagusta (in Cyprus), and trading posts in Crimea, the Black Sea, the Lunigiana in northern Tuscany, and various towns in Liguria.

In the early sixteenth century, Niccolò Machiavelli, in his Florentine Histories (Book VIII, Chapter 29), was the first to examine the intricate relationship between the Casa di San Giorgio's financial and territorial powers. Machiavelli boldly declared that the institution's possession of territories formed the foundation of its ascendancy. Subsequently, the founders of several pioneering corporations, such as the Dutch East India Company (1602), the Bank of England (1694), and John Laws' Mississippi Company (1720) in France, drew inspiration from the model established by the Casa di San Giorgio.

The book explores the evolution of the Casa di San Giorgio from a mere financial institution to a powerful entity with territorial authority. It sheds light on the institution's role in shaping the financial and political landscape of its time and its influence on the development of corporations in other regions. By examining the historical roots of the modern corporation, this book provides valuable insights into the complex interplay between finance, power, and governance in the early modern world.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032198927