“Eni has the task of promoting and implementing initiatives of national interest in the hydrocarbon sector "; the new body, of which Mattei was the creator, the leader undisputed and the first president, was then created with the purpose of ensuring to Italy an autonomous energy policy. Eni was a complex structure, which represents a major innovation in the entrepreneurial scenario of the time. The scheme of Eni's companies at the time of its foundation was strictly linked to the development of a large "integrated" oil group: the four 6 sector leaders were: Agip, Agip Mineraria, Snam and Anic. In fact, oil exploration required, follow...

The Italian General Petroleum Company (Azienda generale italiana petroli, Agip ) was created by Mussolini in 1927 as a public company, with 60% state capital and 20% each by Ina e Inps. Agip was therefore the first attempt by the Italian state to develop a autonomous oil policy. The company's main purpose was to locate oil fields in the national territory, with the broadest aim of finding solutions to the problem of lack of energy sources, which was certainly one of the factors that slowed down Italy's entry into modern industrial society. The emblem of that shortage was represented by the coal, a key instrument of the industrial ...