The merchant, the hospital, the children

The publication and exhibition aim to contribute to the reconstruction of the system of assistance in Florence between the 14th and 15th centuries and the events that led to the foundation of the Innocenti, starting with the testamentary legacy of Francesco Datini, a merchant from Prato who in 1410 left a thousand florins to the Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova. The events of the donation and foundation of the Innocenti are then reconstructed, put in relation to the general trend toward specialization of welfare activities that during the fifteenth century asserted itself not only in Florence. The itinerary is completed with a look at the more recent history of the cultural heritages of Santa Maria Nuova and the Innocenti and also at their future.

The volume is available at the Innocenti Library and can be viewed in its Online Catalog.