The Pubbliche Assistenze, Italian Associations that provided assistance to the general public, began to form in 1860. Inspired by solidaristic ideals and acting on the belief that people should help one another as brothers and sisters, they were free, secular and democratic associations of volunteers open to anyone’s participation.
2. The Birth of the Public Assistance Groups in Italy Ideals from the 19° Century Italian “Risorgimento”
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4. Livorno, at the end of the 1800s. Volunteer wearing a protection device against Cholera.
5. The first “Pubbliche Assistenze” in Tuscany & Liguria Why did the P.A.’s have different names? Because, typically, their statutes were written separately and promoted different ideals according to their specific social, economic, and political realities
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7. La Croce Verde Would have surely been composed of an administration and volunteers that had republican, socialist, and anarchist ideologies
8. La Croce Bianca Probably composed of conservatives and monarchists
9. La Croce D’Oro The emerging middle class Characterized by new specialized professions (notaries, lawyers, and doctors)
10. La Croce Turchina No longer indicative of this today, but was once linked to farmers.
18. The “Federazione Nazionale delle Società di Pubblica Assistenza e Pubblico Soccorso” was recognized as an “Organization Devoted to Public Good” by a King’s Decree in 1911
19. The history of the “Pubbliche Assistenze” is strongly connected to political, social, and cultural changes in Italy and played a role in promoting reforms