Which Italian bank, founded in 1407, became famous as a major financial institution of the Republic of Genoa?

Banco di San Giorgio, founded in 1407, became a major financial institution of the Republic of Genoa.

The bank was established by Genoese creditors and creditors' associations to manage public debt. Rather than functioning only as a modern deposit bank, it administered tax revenues and other assets pledged by the government to repay loans.

Its influence grew as Genoa expanded its commercial and political reach. Banco di San Giorgio managed territories and revenue rights, including holdings connected with Corsica and other Mediterranean possessions. This made it an unusually powerful institution for its era.

The bank is often discussed alongside medieval and Renaissance Italian banking houses, but its structure was different from a family bank such as the Medici Bank. Banco di San Giorgio survived for centuries before being suppressed under French rule in 1805.