The Banca Popolare del Mezzogiorno began life in November 2008 with the merger of two historic banks from southern Italy: Banca Popolare del Materano and Banca Popolare di Crotone, both already members of the BPER Group.

The aim of the merger was to create a first-rank business that would support the economy of the Italian South, one that could combine the services of a large banking group with the territorial roots characteristic of a local bank – following, in fact, the strategic line adopted by the BPER Group many years ago.

Banca Popolare del Materano

The Banca Popolare del Materano began as the Banca Mutua Popolare di Matera, a venerable banking institution that goes back to 24 April 1881. In 1960, Banca Mutua Popolare di Matera merged with Banca Cooperativa Popolare Ferrandinese and Banca Popolare Cooperativa di Montescaglioso to form the Banca Popolare del Materano. In 1995 Banca Popolare dell’Emilia Romagna became the majority shareholder in Banca Popolare del Materano (which had meanwhile become a joint-stock company, or SpA), and it accordingly became part of the BPER Group.

Banca popolare di Crotone

La The roots of the Banca Popolare di Crotone run deep in the social and economic history of Calabria, where it has been doing business for over a hundred years.

It began with a group of citizens who in 1886 decided on a mutual support venture which would encourage the development of small retail and manufacturing firms in the city of Crotone and its hinterland. It grew, but kept its original drive to provide small-scale credit on a cooperative basis; and although the history of its growth was one of fits and starts, there was always a thread of continuity.

After the dark years of the Second World War the bank managed to begin a phase of expansion which laid the foundations of its present strength in many of the region’s provinces.

In 1996 it changed status from a limited liability cooperative to a joint-stock limited company (SpA), and at the same time joined the Banca Popolare dell’Emilia Romagna banking group.