Who we are

The history

The Gardant Group is the market leader in the credit sector in Italy, with about EUR 44 billion in loans under management, over EUR 18 billion in special servicing loans and EUR 1.2 billion in investments in impaired loans (purchase price).

2024

2024

Gardant successfully concludes a long-term partnership agreement in the special servicing sector with one of the leading Italian banks, BPER Banca S.p.A.. As part of the agreement with BPER Banca S.p.A., the joint venture Gardant Bridge Servicing S.p.A. was established.

2021

2021

In August, the Gardant Group, the new leading operator in Italy in the sector of impaired and illiquid loans, was born.

The Gardant Group was born from the reorganisation of the Credito Fondiario Banking Group, which gave birth to two independent entities: the Gardant Group and a challenger bank that kept the name of Credito Fondiario.

2020

2020

During the year, Credito Fondiario exceeded EUR 1 billion in cumulative investments (purchase price) in the Italian impaired and illiquid loans sector, positioning itself as one of the largest investors in this market.

2017 & 2018

2017 & 2018

Credito Fondiario successfully concludes two long-term partnership agreements in the special servicing sector with two leading Italian banks, Banca Carige S.p.A. (as of December 2017) and Banco BPM S.p.A. (as of December 2018). As part of the agreement with Banco BPM, the joint venture Gardant Liberty Servicing S.p.A. was established.

2013

2013

At the end of 2013 Credito Fondiario (then called FonspaBank) is acquired by Tages Holding and a group of Italian entrepreneurs, with the aim of transforming it into a reference operator in the nascent secondary credit market in Italy, operating both as servicer and investor.

2000

2000

The bank changed its mission, joining a US international group, specialising first (in 2000) in securitisation servicing and then (since 2006) in retail mortgage lending, under the name Credito Fondiario — FonspaBank.

THE ‘90s

THE ‘90s

Following the banking reform, the bank extended its operations to medium/long-term industrial loans, changing its name to Credito Fondiario e Industriale — Fonspa — Istituto per i Finanziamenti a Medio Lungo Termine S.p.A.

1985

1985

The bank’s shares were listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, where they remained until they were delisted in 2001 following a change in ownership.

THE ‘60s

THE ‘60s

The bank became part of the IRI (Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale, Institute for Industrial Reconstruction) galaxy, with the transfer of control to Banco di Roma, Comit and Credit (1960). In 1965 it took the name Credito Fondiario S.p.A. The bank financed itself by means of mortgage bonds.

THE ‘50s

THE ‘50s

After the Second World War, the bank expanded its activities with the possibility of financing public works and granting industrial land loans, extending its operations to almost the entire Italian territory.

1898

1898

The bank was founded in Cagliari on 28 April 1898 as Credito Fondiario Sardo S.A., specialising in the provision of mortgages in Sardinia and Rome.