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Garibaldi letter on display

A terse letter in which Italy's national hero, Giuseppe Garibaldi, pleads poverty over an outstanding tax debt is among a cache of rare documents which will go on display for the first time at the world's oldest bank.

The documents come from the archives of the Monte dei Paschi bank, which was founded in 1472 in the Tuscan city of Siena and ranks as the oldest surviving bank in the world.

They include the earliest known prototype of today's travellers' cheques – a prearranged credit note from 1650.

The letter from Garibaldi to the bank is dated Nov 26, 1875 – more than a decade after he had risked his life fighting for Italy's unification....

Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)