Through its examination of a city marginal to the Italian tradition
of communes and city-states during the post-Renaissance period, the
book offers an extended reassessment of what has been regarded as
the typical Italian model of welfare. Acts of charity have often
been interpreted either within a functionalist framework or merely
as responses to the needs of the poor by reference to the elusive
field of changing mentalites. This book seeks instead to illuminate
the reasons for individuals' involvement in charity. Analysis of
the relationships of power, and conflict within the actors'
personal and political milieux, reveals that tensions within the
social elites were a crucial factor in motivating charitable giving
and even in shaping perceptions of the deserving poor. Special
attention is paid to the symbolic and direct aims of charity,
rather than to its explicit interventions. This focus on
subjectivity also throws new light on the link between gender and
charitable activity.
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