Panetta presents 100 restored interviews on economic history
Bank of Italy Governor Fabio Panetta presented a joint project with public broadcaster RAI restoring 100 interviews on economic thought. Speaking in Rome on October 2, 2026, Panetta noted that economic literacy is essential to sustaining public trust in central bank independence.
From eighteenth-century Naples to early AI
The initiative restores around 100 archive interviews produced by RAI, where modern economists discuss historical thinkers across several centuries.
Panetta highlighted how economic theory arose from practical problems, citing Ferdinando Galiani on currency debasement and debt redistribution in eighteenth-century Naples, Henry Thornton on paper credit during the Napoleonic wars, and John Maynard Keynes on mass unemployment after the gold standard collapsed.
He also pointed to Charles Babbage’s 1832 work on mechanizing intellectual tasks as an early precursor to modern debates on artificial intelligence.
Scientific curator Maria Cristina Marcuzzo and project creator Renato Parascandolo led the presentation alongside RAI chief executive Giampaolo Rossi.
Public trust through economic literacy
Banca d'Italia contributed through its Historical Archive to bring the material to students, researchers, and the wider public.
The collection will feature in the central bank's upcoming Money Museum, which is entering its final completion phase and will include an online platform.
Panetta stressed that financial literacy on matters such as interest rates and inflation empowers individual savings decisions while fostering public trust in independent central bank policy.
Cultural shield for independence
Central bank independence demands public justification rather than technocratic insulation.
Anchoring monetary concepts in historical debates strengthens democratic legitimacy.
Cultural outreach serves as a practical shield against growing political scrutiny.
Source: Opening remarks by Governor Fabio Panetta
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