Raffaele Mattioli was born in Vasto on March 20, 1895.

In 1912, he enrolled in the Faculty of Economics at the University of Genoa, but with the advent of World War I, he enlisted as a volunteer, remaining in service even after the end of the conflict in Gabriele d’Annunzio’s legions as his press secretary.

Leaving the army, he resumed his studies, graduating in December 1920 with a thesis on monetary economics.

His career began at Banca Commerciale Italiana (Comit), one of the leading financial institutions of the time. He quickly rose to the top, becoming general manager in 1931, managing director in 1933, and chairman of the administrative council since 1960.

His role led him to have frequent contacts with Benito Mussolini, but he strongly supported the communist cause, meeting secretly with Palmiro Togliatti and personally working to rescue the Prison Notebooks after Antonio Gramsci’s death.

Over the years, Mattioli’s management transformed Comit into a modern and strategic bank, capable of navigating Italy’s complex historical phases: from the Fascist regime, to World War II, to postwar reconstruction. During the Black Twenties, he worked strenuously for a “cultural resistance and, despite political pressure, defended the bank’s autonomy, even protecting many intellectuals persecuted by the regime.

After World War II ended, it played a crucial role in Italy’s economic reconstruction, promoting industrial development policies and supporting innovative enterprises and long-term investment strategies.

In addition to his banking activities, Mattioli distinguished himself for his commitment as a patron of culture: he was, in fact, a man of vast humanistic sensitivity, who established close relations with leading intellectuals and philosophers, including Benedetto Croce. He supported publishing houses, financed restorations and promoted the publication of fundamental texts, such as the complete works of Carlo Cattaneo and classics of economic and philosophical thought.

He died in Rome on July 27, 1973.

You can view thebirth certificate on the Ancestor Portal: Chieti State Archives > Italian Civil Status > Vasto > 1895

The original is kept at theState Archives in Chieti.

For more on the figure of Raffaele Mattioli, see the entry of the Biographical Dictionary of Italians edited by Francesca Pino.