Credit Rationing in Italy.- Does Local Financial Development Matter?.- Local Financial Development and Corporate Financial Policy.- The Geography of Banking Power: The Role of Functional Distance.- Bank Mergers and Credit Allocation Among Italian Regions.- Basel II and the Financing of R&D Investments.- Basel II and Banking Behaviour in a Dualistic Economy.- Measuring the Efficiency of the Banking System in a Dualistic Economy: Evidence from the Italian Case.- Consolidation, Ownership Structure and Efficiency in the Italian Banking System.