La Cassa per il Mezzogiorno e la Banca Mondiale

The research conducted on original World Bank documents, recently made available to scholars, addresses the issue of extraordinary intervention from an international perspective. The central theme of the work is an updated view of the problems of the Mezzogiorno and the solutions proposed for the "Southern Question" in the years following post-war reconstruction, leading to the only period of convergence—in the entire history of the unified Italy—of the South with the North during the golden age. In the initial phase, which opened the doors to the Italian economic miracle, there was a unique triangulation of interests between the Italian government, the World Bank, and the Cassa per il Mezzogiorno, creating an unprecedented development model. The system of international loans contributed to creating a virtuous cycle, with the industrialization of the South and the productive modernization of the country. Only when improper political pressure prevailed, also following the advent of the Regions, did the action of the Cassa per il Mezzogiorno change its original character. The volume contributes to the understanding of this decisive phase of Italian and international economic history, while also providing elements of considerable utility for the analysis of current events in the Mezzogiorno and Italy.