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's analysis of its relationship between financial and territorial powers laid the foundation for the early corporation founders.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive 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 and assumed 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. Its influence extended far and wide, encompassing strategic Genoese possessions such as 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 renowned 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 astutely recognized that the institution's possession of territories served as the foundation of its ascendancy. This insightful analysis laid the groundwork for subsequent corporate founders, including the Dutch East India Company (1602), the Bank of England (1694), and John Laws' Mississippi Company (1720) in France, who drew inspiration from the model established by the Casa di San Giorgio.

The book meticulously reconstructs the evolution of the Casa di San Giorgio, tracing its early stages as a debt management entity to its eventual transformation into a powerful financial and territorial powerhouse. It explores the institution's role in shaping the economic and political landscape of Genoa and its influence on the development of similar institutions in other regions. By examining the Casa di San Giorgio's historical trajectory, this book provides valuable insights into the origins and evolution of the modern corporation, shedding light on the complex interplay between finance, power, and governance in the early modern world.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032198934