Description
The death in London by hanging of one of Italy's leading bankers, Roberto Calvi, focused the world's attention upon the affairs of the Banco Ambrosiano, a bank closely involved in Vatican finance. This bank, which Calvi had devoted his career to building up, was under heavy investigation at the time of his death, and Calvi himself had been charged with fraud and the illegal transfer, or misappropriation, of funds running into millions.Following Calvi's macabre downfall, the Banco Ambrosiano collapsed, exposing the darker face of Italy, its financial and political intrigue, sinister secret societies, intimidation, black- mail and murder. The Ambrosiano affair shook the inter- national banking system. It helped to expose years of reckless financial behaviour by the Vatican, calling into question the judgement of the Pope himself. Aspects of the affair have still not been explained: some probably never will be. But the broad outline of what happened is now clear.After intensive research, including interviews with leading figures in the Italian financial world, with Cavi's family and associates in the United States and with bankers in the capitals of Europe, Rupert Cornwell, the Financial Times Rome correspondent, has been able to unravel the complex story of Roberto Calvi and his world, and to piece together this amazing chronicle of financial malpractice in high places.For this Counterpoint edition he has up-dated and expanded the final chapters to take account of the latest developments in this extraordinary story. ISBN:9780043320990
