This book, published on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Equita, is the result of the 10-year collaboration between Equita and Bocconi to carry out research and studies on capital markets. Well before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall evidence showed that capital markets in Italy were still underdeveloped. In fact, the past decade was characterized by serious weaknesses in the structure and functioning of these markets. The lack of a robust financial infrastructure of capital markets, the need to strengthen the investor base, and flaws in the intermediation structure of capital markets were clear factors of competitive disadvantage for Italy vis-à-vis other European countries. Today, the financial and macroeconomic scenario has dramatically changed. The geopolitical tensions brought about by the Russian-Ukrainian war, the new inflationary scenario and the quantitative tightening of central banks worldwide have put an end to a period of inflated prices on financial assets. The effects on Italian capital markets have been immediate, and rather painful.