Bruno de Finetti was born on June 13, 1906, in Innsbruck, Austria, and died in Rome on July 20, 1985. He began his academic career at the Polytechnic of Milan in 1923 as a student of engineering but later enrolled in the mathematics program at Milan University. While still an undergraduate student, he published his first paper in the area of biomathematics titled "Mathematical Considerations Regarding Mendelian Heredity."

De Finetti provided significant contributions to the theory and foundation of probability, both from methodological and philosophical points of view. His concept of subjective probability evolved as a result of his profound interest in the application of logical theories, such as the application of mathematics to actuarial questions, to the statistics of insurance, and to the organizational techniques of public administration.

De Finetti also pioneered the concept of "exchangeability" or "exchangeable events." With the introduction of this model, he discovered a way of connecting the notion of subjective probability with the traditional procedures of statistical inference. De Finetti developed his ideas on subjective probability in the 1920s independently of Frank P. Ramsey. He only became known in the Anglo-American statistical world in the 1950s when L. J. Savage introduced his writings.

The papers include de Finetti's student notebooks, research papers, lecture and teaching notes, professional and administrative records, newspaper clippings, personal and professional correspondence, and books from his working library. The majority of the documents are in Italian and some are in English, French, and German.