Alle origini dei Monti di Pietà: una questione storica da precisare
At the origins of the Monti di Pietà: a historical question to be clarified

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the article is to analyze the activities of the Mount of Piety (Monti di Pietà), i.e. an institutional pawnbroker run as a charity in Europe from Renaissance times until today. The article shows the theoretical foundations of this institution, especially the importance of Franciscan thinkers, such as Bernardino of Siena, in this regard. The analyzes also cover today's activities of the Mount of Piety, which focuses on microcredit and other ethical forms of lending and investing. The article shows the development of this institution, but also the persistence of the values on which it is based.

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