The deepening of our knowledge of the various forms of microcredit, as practised by the original Monti di Pietà institutions, particularly in Tuscany (in cities such as Arezzo, Florence, Pistoia and Prato), was motivated by the renewed vigour with which the issues underlying the creation of these institutions are being addressed today. According to the latest ISTAT report, poverty affects more than 14 million people in our country, accounting for around a quarter of the population. This has become a major problem that will require political decisions and a series of measures to be implemented in order to contain the phenomenon, which otherwise risks triggering profound social disintegration.

This book is included in DOAB.