Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena SpA · Siena Italy · (Italian: BMPS)

The city of Siena knows its way around a horse race -- and also the world of banking. It's the home to one of Italy's largest banks, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMPS), which provides consumer, business, and other banking services to 6 million clients through more than 3,000 branches throughout the country. BMPS also has limited operations in several other nations. The bank, which claims to be the oldest in the world, was founded in 1472 to help the poor. It is split into a public institution (chiefly active in benevolent works, grants, and public assistance) and the incorporated banking arm (focused on profits). The Fondazione Monte dei Paschi owns about 49% of the bank, but controls some 60% of it. To read the full description, subscribe now.