Founded in Rome in 1472 as a "mountain of piety," the world's oldest bank might fail today.
Why?
Because today, December 4th, Italian citizens will have a crucial vote on whether or not to throw out their government.
It's the Italian version of Brexit, and if Italians vote "no" the way UK voters did, it threatens to kick off a financial crisis that kills the oldest bank in the world.
Seven other big Italian banks are in serious trouble right now, too.
And if these 8 Italian banks do fail, the embattled Italian government could order a "bail-in," imposing losses on the bank's stock and bondholders.
The vast majority of these investors are individual mom and pop Italian citizens and retirees… so this widespread wealth confiscation will further enrage the Italian citizenry.
That's another factor in the coming Italian election, pushing voters to say "no" at the ballot box.
Doug Casey recently recorded a video interview where he details the economic implications of today's vote.
You can watch it here, but watch it before it's too late: 
