What are cookies?
Cookies are small files that the website visited by the user sends to its terminal (usually the web browser), where they are stored ready to be retransmitted to the same website on the user’s next visit. When navigating a website, users may also receive cookies on their terminal sent by other websites or web servers (so-called “third party” cookies), on which certain elements can reside (for example, images, maps, videos or sounds) that are present on the site being visited.

The cookies, usually found on the user’s browser, which are often present in quite high quantities and at times have a long-term duration, are used for different purposes: for authentication, monitoring of sessions, storing of information on specific configurations regarding the users accessing the server, etc.

Some operations cannot be carried out without the use of cookies which, in some cases, are thus technically necessary: for example, access to home banking and current account online activities (viewing of statements, bank transfers, payment of bills, etc.) would be much more complex and less safe without the presence of cookies that make it possible to identify the user and maintain the identification of the same throughout the session.

What are the main types of cookie?
There are two macro-categories:

a. Technical cookies
These are used for the sole purpose of "transmitting communications to an electronic communication network, or to the extent strictly necessary for the provision of a service by the information company explicitly requested by the contracting party or the user in order to provide the said service" (art. 122, paragraph 1, of the Personal Data Protection Code).

These are not used for any ulterior purposes and they are normally installed directly by the owner or the manager of the website (so-called "proprietary" or "editorial" cookies). These can be divided into:

• browsing or session cookies, which guarantee normal navigation and use of the website (making it possible for example, to make purchases or be authenticated in order to access reserved areas);
• analytics cookies, assimilated by the technical cookies where they are used directly by the manager of the website to collect information, in an associated form (anonymous), about the number of users and the manner in which they visit the website;
• functional cookies, that allow the user to navigate in relation to a series of select criteria (for example, the language or the products selected for purchase) in order to improve the service provided.

The prior consent of the user is not requested in order to install these cookies.

b. Profiling cookies
These are used to create profiles of the users and are employed for sending advertising messages according to the preferences shown by the same during their online navigation. Due to their particular invasiveness with regard to the users’ private sphere, European and Italian regulations require that users be adequately informed about the use of the same and are thus required to express their valid consent They are referred to in Art. 122 of the Personal Data Protection Code which states that "the filing of the information on the terminal of a contracting party or user or the access to information already filed shall only be permitted on condition that the contracting party or user has given consent after having been informed according to the simplified methods as per art. 13, paragraph 3, of the Personal Data Protection Code”.

Session Cookies and Persistent Cookies
Session cookies, which contain information used in the current browser session, are automatically cancelled at the end of the session (when the browser is closed) and are never kept for longer than the time strictly necessary for using the website.

Persistent cookies that are used to maintain useful information between visits to the website over time, for technical purposes or in order to improve website navigation, are never cancelled at the end of the session and have a duration (expiry) which is fixed by the website itself that can vary between a few minutes and several years. 

First party (proprietary) cookies and third party Cookies
The different subject installing the cookies on the user’s terminal should be taken into account, i.e. according to whether it is the manager of the website the user is visiting (which can be concisely indicated as the "editor") or of a different website (third party) who is installing the cookies via the former (so-called "third party" cookies). Taking this into account, we can thus have:

• first party cookies, that are created and legible by the same website that created them;
• third party cookies that are created and legible by domains external to the website and the data regarding which is kept by the third party.

Which cookies are used by this website?
First party Cookies
• consent to the use of cookies (persistent)
• user authentication (session)

Third party Cookies
• Google Analytics with anonymized IP (google.it/policies/privacy)

This website DOESN'T USE profiling cookies.

How can cookies be managed?
The default configuration of most browsers (Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) is to accept cookies. However, most browsers make it possible to control and even disable cookies by managing the web settings (for the configuration of the special settings of the various browsers, please consult their relevant support pages). In any case it should be remembered that disabling the navigation or functional cookies could result in website malfunction and/or limit the services offered by the same.

To find out more about cookies and how to manage or disable third party or marketing/retargeting cookies, please refer to youronlinechoices.com. In order to disable analysis cookies and to prevent Google Analytics from collecting navigation data, please download the "Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on" from: tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.