Opera Pia Dei Poveri Mendicanti

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The Opera Pia dei Poveri Mendicanti was a civic welfare institutional service created in

confraternities. The plan was to ameliorate the poor through discipline, education, and by finding them sufficient work; thus, helping the people escape their perpetual poverty in a modern sense.[2]

Creation

The Opera Pia dei Poveri Mendicanti replaced an earlier plan: the Compagnia dei Poveri Mendicanti.

confraternities’ charities such as Ospedale (hostels) into larger ones.[4]

Membership

Ruling elite in

confraternities, which tended to focus on helping particular groups of people such as: fallen nobles, women, or orphans. Instead the Opera Pia dei Poveri Mendicanti gave money and aid to all these organization types.[5]

Objective of the organization

The objective of this organization was to help the poor through reform and provide opportunities for work within the society.[6] They also provided the necessities of life such as: food, shelter, and clothing, to those who could not afford it themselves.[5]

Significance

The Opera Pia dei Poveri Mendicanti replaced confraternities’ charities.

Charities
included clothing and feeding the poor, housing orphans, as well as visiting sick people.

Types of organizations created

The Opera created orphanages for young boys and girls. The girls were placed outside the city, while the boys resided in orphanages inside the city near to places where they apprenticed. In addition, a hostel called Ospedale dei Poveri Mendicanti was created in

orphanages.[5]

Problems and controversy

Some male members accused female ones of wasting money on lavish festivals and dinners, which projected a frivolous and ostentatious image of the Opera.[7] Thus, this occurrence portrayed the service as wasting money. As a result of the concern with the misuse of money, the Opera discouraged its members, in particular the women, from hosting events such as these and restrictions were placed on spending. The people who held the power were the male ruling elite and through the Opera, their objective was to fulfill the basic needs of the sick and poor, rather than throwing lavish parties for them.[6]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Terpstra (1994), pp. 101–120
  2. ^ Terpstra (2004), p. 19
  3. ^ Donnelly & Maher (1999), p. 100
  4. ^ Donnelly & Maher (1999), p. 101
  5. ^ a b c Terpstra (2004), pp. 28–34
  6. ^ a b c Donnelly & Maher (1999), pp. 100–101
  7. ^ a b Terpstra (2004), pp. 19–23
  8. ^ Pullan (2005), pp. 441–443
  9. ^ Eisenbichler (1991), p. 187

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

  • Ingrami, Matilde, Laura Melzani, Julia Musiani, Saide Pacchioni, and Jessica Zarrella. “Infancy and Poverty.” Modena in the History: The Archives and School [1].
  • “Our History.” Instituto Giovanni XXIII [2].