Biblioteca di Economia e Management
Type: Personal / thematic bibliographic collection of Ferdinando Di Fenizio
Status: Closed collection
Location: “DIFENIZIO”
Time span: 1913–1988
Language: Mainly Italian; includes titles in English, French, German, and Spanish
Format: Printed monographs
Access conditions: Open or on-site consultation, depending on the document
Origin: Donation by the heirs
Content:
The collection consists primarily of monographs, conference proceedings, and journal offprints, with a strong focus on economics, industry, and Italian and international economic policy, covering much of the twentieth century, with a particularly high concentration between the 1940s and 1970s. The collection includes numerous works by Ferdinando Di Fenizio in the form of articles, offprints, and monographs, suggesting that it originated as his personal library. Many volumes are devoted to the history of individual companies, finance and credit, economic planning, and statistical analysis. The geographical scope primarily concerns Italy, with specific references to Milan, Pavia, and Southern Italy, but also extends to European and international contexts (e.g. the European Coal and Steel Community and the Marshall Plan).
Main thematic areas:
- Industrial and business history: Volumes dedicated to the history of specific Italian companies and to the general history of industrialists.
- Italian economics and economic policy: Studies on economic planning, the development of Southern Italy, income policy, and economic cycles in Italy.
- International economics and finance: Works on international monetary policy, the Marshall Plan (ERP), finance and credit, and European integration.
- Statistics and demography: Publications of the Central Institute of Statistics, proceedings of conferences of the Italian Statistical Society, and demographic studies.
- Econometrics and economic theory: Works on pure production theory, econometric models, and theoretical debates.
- Law and management of public enterprises: Monographs on the management and financing of public and state-owned enterprises.
Documentary and historical value:
The collection exhibits a high degree of thematic and chronological coherence, focusing primarily on economic, industrial, and financial developments in the Italian and international post-war context. The presence of numerous works by Di Fenizio, along with a coherent body of publications from CIRIEC and SVIMEZ, reflects a specialized and consistent approach. The volumes often address interconnected topics such as economic policy, industrial development, and finance. The collection is of significant interest for academic and specialized research in economic history, industrial history, and the history of economic thought. The presence of conference proceedings and journal offprints further suggests the existence of working documents and specialized contributions of considerable value for the study of specific topics and for reconstructing the scientific and political debates of the period.
