Banca della Svizzera Italiana
BSI is the oldest bank in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Founded in 1873 in Lugano as the Banca della Svizzera Italiana, today BSI is an institution that specialises in asset management and related services for private and institutional clients. In 1998, the bank became part of the Italian Generali group, one of the world's biggest insurance companies.
History
- 1873 BSI opens the main office on Piazza della Riforma in Lugano.
- 1874 BSI opens its first branch, in Locarno. It follows this with branches in Bellinzona (1879) and Chiasso (1906).
- 1880 BSI relocates its headquarters to the historic Palazzo dei Marchesi Riva, which dates back to 1747, where the headquarters of the Bank are located to this day.
- 1908 The Banca Commerciale Italiana (BCI) of Milan acquires sizeable minority participation. With this operation, BSI strengthens its ties to the Italian and international banking communities.
- 1910 BCI assumes control of BSI.
- 1935 BSI opens a branch office in Zurich.
- 1969 BSI establishes a branch in Nassau.
- 1973 BSI opens a branch office in St. Moritz and an affiliate in Guernsey. Establishment also of The Centenario Foundation that recognizes persons or institutions for their contribution to the growth of cultural relations between Italy and Switzerland.
- 1975 BSI extends its reach to the French speaking part of Switzerland.
- 1976 BSI opens its first representation in South America, in Caracas, Venezuela.
- 1981 Opening of the Hong Kong office.
- 1983 The Banca Commerciale Italiana transfers its shares holdings to the Irving Trust Company. Opening of the branch office in New York.
- 1984 Openings of offices in London.
- 1988 BSI extends its activities to the Principality of Monaco.
- 1990 Opening of BSI Finanziaria SpA, in Milan.
- 1991 The Società di Banca Svizzera becomes the major shareholder of BSI.
- 1995 With the important operation of outsourcing, the informatics development spins off BSI to become the affiliated Boss Lab SA that services other banks as well.
- 1998 Assicurazioni Generali, Trieste, one of the major insurance companies, becomes sole shareholder. In the 25th year of its foundation, the BSI Gamma Foundation is established (Global Asset Management Methods and Applications), with the goal of promoting applied research in the field of wealth management and cooperation between the world of research and practical application.
- 2000 As of January 1, the Banca della Svizzera Italiana is officially renamed BSI SA. In November, new offices open in Lausanne.
- 2002 Banca BSI Italia SpA starts its bank activity in Italy.
- 2005 May - Boss Lab, one of Switzerland's leading providers of IT and back office services for banks, changes its name to B-Source; Banca del Gottardo acquires a minority stake.
- 2005 September - The new BSI building opens at Via Canova 6, Lugano.
- 2005 October - BSI acquires a 51% share of Ifabanque, a French bank based in Paris, which then becomes BSI-Ifabanque SA.
- 2005 November - BSI Bank Ltd. opens in Singapore.
- 2006 July - BSI sells Banca BSI Italia to Banca Generali.
- 2006 September - BSI acquires Banca Unione di Credito.
- 2007 November - BSI SA acquires Banca Del Gottardo.
- 2008 July - BSI AG (Generali) obtains a CBB licence and opens its representative office in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Product and Services
BSI offers a complete array of products and services, from classic products for more traditional investors, to alternative products at the opposite end of the spectrum:
Initiatives and Events
The dedication demonstrated by BSI to new ideas has been put into practice by promoting research, foundations, conferences, personal and collective exhibitions, publications, expositions of art and exclusive collections, prestigious concerts and a number of other endeavours. BSI is more than a patron - it vigorously promotes communication in these areas, organizing and taking part in events. The bank has always maintained its commitment to art, music and culture, with an active and constant presence at high-profile performances and exhibitions.
BSI Art Collection
BSI began a collection of works of art in 2000, the BSI Art Collection, which has been enriched by the works of very prestigious artists since its inception. Today the collection comprises about 80 works of art, including installations, sculptures, collages, drawings and photographs by artists such as Daniel Buren, John Chamberlain, Tony Cragg, Fausto Melotti, Mario Merz and Giulio Paolini, as well as young artists who are winning international recognition and successfully making names for themselves in the world of art, such as Franz Ackermann, Olafur Eliasson, Liam Gillick and Daniel Roth.
BSI Gamma Foundation
Established on the 125th anniversary of BSI, the BSI Gamma Foundation promotes research in the area of asset management and cooperation between the world of research and practical applications, assigns research mandates to people or institutions with recognized experience in the sector, organises conferences and publishes the research results.
Centenario Foundation
The Centenario Foundation began in 1973 on the occasion of BSI's first one hundred years. Its scope is to bestow monetary recognition to persons or institutions which have furthered the development of Italian-Swiss relations, contributed to the betterment of understanding between the Swiss and Italian people or to the expansion of the common cultural heritage.
BSI Architectural Foundation
The BSI Architectural Foundation promotes understanding, education and research within the field of architecture, in particular by presenting a biennal architectural award, the BSI Architectural Award, the purpose of which is to recognize, and bring to public and media attention, architects who have made an important contribution to contemporary architecture and who have shown particular sensitivity to the landscape and environment.
BSI Album
The BSI Album project is a series of displays of rare and original art collections in the windows of BSI banks, on view day and night, which 'unfold', like old-fashioned albums, as people walk past. The BSI Album project will unfold in four sections:
- Culture and memory: a series of exhibitions connected with architecture and related subjects;
- Journeys and adventures of the spirit: themes of ethnology and civilization;
- Private treasures: major collections of watches, jewellery and similar items;
- Deliciousness: when art meets great cuisine.
These sections will alternate three times a year, in approximately January, May and September, at BSI's offices in Lugano, Bellinzona, Chiasso, Locarno, Geneva, Zurich and St. Moritz.
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