charity and confraternities 441
Conclusionin an overview of confraternities and the public order in early modern italy,
nicholas terpstra states: “a review of the modes of civic welfare operating
in early modern italy demonstrates that civic systems woven together out
of a range of semi-independent institutions like confraternities, ospedali,
monti di pietà, and the like were relatively cheap, flexible, easily coordi-
nated, and open to expansion.”63 Civic leaders throughout italy facilitated
or impeded charitable institutions, practices, and innovations based on
local needs and political objectives. in Venice the aristocratic leader-
ship crafted a uniquely Venetian mode of civic welfare from the range
of charitable options. a complex network of hundreds of lay institutions,
parochial associations, hospitals, and fraternal organizations provided the
social network that underlay the political stability of Venice, which for
centuries never experienced a popular uprising or revolt. although no
central authority organized the individual initiatives and activities, the
Venetian government did closely supervise, certify, and regulate charity
and confraternities, for their proper functioning were considered critical
matters of state. notwithstanding the diverse goals, dates of foundation,
membership, and activities, all of these organizations gave physical or
spiritual comfort to those in need and served the common good. some
brotherhoods survived for centuries; others were established toward the
end of the republic; yet other charitable initiatives were thwarted by
authorities. despite the changing historical circumstances, a consistent
principle, captured in the preamble to the 1528 poor law, guided govern-
mental oversight. the goal was not to eliminate poverty but to mitigate
suffering as a divine mandate and good public policy. Venetians knew
that the poor would always be among them and responded with stable,
orthodox, yet malleable charitable organizations that were the foundation
of the Venetian republic.
Note on Research and Sourcesthe groundbreaking study by Brian Pullan, Rich and Poor (1971), inspired
a generation of scholars to explore the religious and civic life of Venetian
63 nicholas terpstra, “Confraternities and Public Charity,” in John donnelly and Michael
Maher, eds., Confraternities and Catholic Reform (Kirksville, Mo., 1999), p. 120.