Two data points suffice to identify the links between hospitals and social needs at the height of medieval economic growth. The first is the direct responsibility assumed by municipal governments in the field of assistance, which became an integral part of the construction of the res publica. Furthermore, the variety of social protection mechanisms developed by welfare organizations documents an action that affected a large part of the population. The question we wish to address here is whether, and to what extent, the social impact of assistance was able to address economic inequalities. By looking at late medieval society through the lens of the responses implemented, we can ask, for example, what proportion (and what segment) of the population was reached, what needs were considered as such, what the objectives of the aid were and how they were implemented, and what can be considered effective in the short and long term. From this perspective, inequalities can be better understood in the light of the reality and perceptions of people at the time.
University of Florence, Italy - ORCID: 0000-0001-5659-0327
Chapter Title
Gli ospedali e l’assistenza come risposta alle diseguaglianze economiche. Un osservatorio dalla Toscana medievale.
Authors
Paolo Nanni
Language
Italian
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0705-8.23
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2025
Copyright Information
© 2025 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
Socio-Economic Inequalities during the Conjuncture of the Fourteenth Century
Book Subtitle
Sources and Methods, Dynamics and Representations (Italy and Europe, c. 1270 - c. 1350)
Editors
Davide Cristoferi
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
458
Publication Year
2025
Copyright Information
© 2025 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0705-8
ISBN Print
979-12-215-0699-0
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-0705-8
eISBN (xml)
979-12-215-0707-2
Series Title
Reti Medievali E-Book
Series ISSN
2704-6362
Series E-ISSN
2704-6079