Finanziamento e governance in un'impresa veneziana del Settecento

In this article I present some interesting financial and governance features of Geminiano Cozzi's manufacture, a pottery firm active in Venice in the second half of the 18th Century. Besides analysing archival materials in order to present the history of this manufacture, I also use theoretical results to better understand the strategies adopted by the agents to smooth the conflicts arose between them. In the first part I explain the importance of financial aspects, discussing the peculiarities of the ceramic industry, in the following sections I examine the different financial tools adopted by Cozzi: self-financing, public subsidies, debt and jointly property. In the final section I explain the most critical aspects not only of the relationship between entrepreneurs and lenders, but also of the financial instruments adopted.