In 1563, a lawyer who felt pity for some of the people imprisoned for debt, along with some of his friends, decided to create a system of no-interest loans with pawned items for prisoners. The work began in a small office in the building of the Vicaria – Castel Capuano, at the Tribunals, — with the name of Monte dei Poveri.
In the same year, the Monte was transferred to the Casa dei Santissimi Apostoli dei padri teatini. Nel 1571, in order to modernize, the Monte moved to the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, where it remained until 1585 and then returned to the Vicaria. The new Monte, from 1600, started to collect deposits and acted as a bank, and in 1609 changed its name to the Monte e Banco dei Poveri.
In 1616, a 16th Century building owned by Gaspare Ricca was acquired in via dei Tribunali, where the bank was established definitively the following year and remained until its closure. It was then enlarged in 1787, with the acquisition and the incorporation of the Cuomo building next door. The building is now the headquarters of the Banco di Napoli Foundation and its Historical Archives.