Generali presents "Generali in history", the story of the company through the documents of the historical archive

Franz Kafka’s curriculum, the insurance for the explorer Umberto Nobile, the insurance policy of Pope Pius X, the fire at La Fenice Theatre in Venice. These are only some of the stories told in the book “Generali in History”, published by Generali and Marsilio Editori.

Written by Generali’s team of archivists, with a preface by the renowned Italian historian and journalist Paolo Mieli, the book arises from the decision to shed new light on the Company’s outstanding historical archive with a view to reconstructing the development of an insurance company that has always featured a strong international vocation, providing in the process an overview on two centuries of Italian and world history.

In two volumes, dedicated to the 19^th and 20^th centuries respectively, the book is based on a remarkable heritage consisting of countless books, reports, memorandums, contracts and photographs, which together offer a first-hand account of people and key historical events, at the same time bringing into a broader political context the Company’s long history.

The work is enriched by a vast iconographic repertoire and supplemented by stimulating essays, dedicated, for example, to the evolution of the Company’s brand, the history of its advertisement campaigns and logo (from the Habsburg double-headed eagle granted by imperial privilege in 1833 to the Lion of Saint Mark chosen to represent the Company following the Revolutions of 1848). In addition, the book outlines the profiles of Company men who played crucial roles in Generali’s growth such as Masino Levi, Marco Besso, Edgardo Morpurgo, and, within the scientific and public communities, the mathematician Bruno de Finetti and the politician Cesare Merzagora.

Some sections are dedicated to the history of Generali’s innovative drive through specific technical-statistical advancements, such as those that provided the actuarial bases to hail insurance.

Available in major book shops, the work will appeal to experts as well as those who cultivate interest in history, economics, politics and culture.

For further information please visit www.generaliarchives.com