Italy’s little coronavirus problem may be a bit more pressing at the moment, but in terms of longevity it’s got nothing on the country’s banks. Indeed, it’s fair to say that Italian banks have been in some kind of crisis or other since the fall of the Medici, and one that’s been particularly acute since the global financial crisis. Recently, however, there has been some evidence that at least the critical phase had passed. Still, these are Italian banks, and as such remain vulnerable to relapse in case of political instability, economic difficulties or a particularly virulent cold shutting down the entire country.