Part IV:
Those Who Have and Those Who Have Not
Document 9
| From the Mariegola (rule book) of the charcoal-bearers, in 1479: "Item: We wish and ordain that, should any of our porters be ill and unable to work, the said porters shall be obliged to give him as alms 20 soldi every Saturday, the money to be taken from their earnings" (qtd in Chambers and Pullan 285). |
Document 10
| From the statutes of the ferry station at San Tomà on the Grand Canal in Venice, 23 August 1511: ". . . henceforth, when any of our brothers falls ill and cannot row his boat, the sick man shall, after four days of not being able to come and row, be entitled to send a man with his boat to the ferry until such time as he is cured of his illness, so that he can continue to work at the ferry" (qtd in Chambers and Pullan 287). |
Document 11
| From a letter from Battista Sfondrato, Milanese ambassador to Venice, to the Duke of Milan, 23 March 1497, regarding the poor in Venice: "Since the revenues of the Scuole (religious brotherhoods to honor saints, maintain altars, and assist each other in times of need) are insufficient to meet their obligations to the poor, the sick, and the girls in need of dowries, it is a custom that those members who are healthy and successful in their occupations should give alms (money) each month" (qtd in Chambers and Pullan 301). |
Document 12
| From a Senate decree in Venice on 3 April 1529: "First, the beggars from outside who daily enter the city shall be sent back to their own territories with letters of commendation exhorting the governors of those places to provide for their support, and not to allow them to return to Venice. . . . The poor people of Venice who are driven by want, and who cannot live by their own industry or manual labor on account of infirmity, shall be placed in and distributed among the hospitals or wherever it seems they can best get support. This measure shall be applied to those persons of either sex who have no fixed abode" (qtd in Chambers and Pullan 304). |
Document 13
| From a petition of the governors of the Fraternity of Sant'Antonino, 9 April 1596, regarding the recipients of charity: "All are reminded to give thanks to God; to pray for their benefactors; to bear their troubles with patience; to ensure that their children go to learn Christian doctrine and the older girls live as Christians and do not fall into error; to perform frequent acts of piety; and to apply themselves to some virtuous activity in accordance with their character, raising themselves to the best of their ability above the base condition into which the misfortunes of the world have plunged them" (qtd in Chambers and Pullan 321). |
Document 14
| Battista Sfondrato's letter, continued: "This is as much as I can relate to Your Excellency concerning these charitable institutions. Although there are many of them, the number of the poor of all conditions who are found here is much greater, and they still seem not to be well provided for, despite all the opportunities that exist. The reason for this seems to be that none of the Scuole, and especially not the Scuole Grandi (largest brotherhoods), which give more in aid than the others, admit members without an entrance fee of 10 or 12 ducats, or something similar. Thus he who cannot help himself finds himself without help" (qtd in Chambers and Pullan 302). |
Questions to discuss:
- In the Renaissance, the poor were categorized into "deserving" and "undeserving" poor, and treated quite differently because of that. Do you think this is fair? Why or why not?
- What about the care of the poor in the Renaissance seems better than our welfare system in America today?
- What about the care of the poor in the Renaissance seems worse than our welfare system in America today?
- In what ways is it morally right or wrong to send a poor person back to where s/he came from?
- What are the individual's responsibilities with regard to the poor?
- Should an organization that helps poor people expect anything from them in return? If so, what? If not, why not?
Please re-evaluate your questions and answers about the good citizen. Add your new thoughts and cross off any ideas that no longer seem correct.
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