Statements regarding the holding in BNL: press release 2

Corporate
Monday, May 23, 2005

Referring to the shareholding owned by the Unipol Group in Banca Nazionale del Lavoro S.p.A. (‘BNL’ or the ‘Bank’) it is hereby specified that today Unipol Assicurazioni S.p.A. and its subsidiary Aurora Assicurazioni S.p.A. acquired an overall amount of no. 90,000,000 ordinary shares of BNL (no. 45,000,000 each).
Following such acquisitions, Unipol Assicurazioni currently holds, both directly and indirectly, no. 149,500,000 ordinary shares of BNL, corresponding to 4.955% of the Bank’s ordinary share capital.