6o ITALY - CRKDIT 



§ 6. Grants made by the monte de' paschi for purposes 

 of pubuc utility and benevolence. 



We shall terminate these notes of ours with a few figures showing the 

 grants made by the Monte de' Paschi to institutions of public assistance and 

 benevolence and for the advance of art and culture. 



The first grant was made in 1 761 in behalf of the University ; it wa? 

 a small subsidy of 200 scudi (the scudo was worth 5.88 frs), continued in 

 the following years up to 1790, and reaching the total amount of 37,330 frs. 

 In 1775 subsidies began to be given to the asylums for pauper lunatics 

 and this also was continued from year to year ; in 1786 the Monte began its 

 contribution to the normal girls' schools instituted by Pietro L,eopoldo for 

 the education and instruction of poor girls ; this contribution, increased 

 in amount, is still continued. 



The grant to the University, suspended in 1791, was recommenced 

 in 1 83 1 and has been increased lately ; in 1887, when our University was 

 placed on an equaUty with the others, the Monte joined with the other local 

 administrative bodies, binding itself to pay into the State Treasury an annual 

 contribution of 22,527 frs; in 1892 at its own expense it built the biological 

 institute, which, with the buildings added to it in succession has cost 190,000 

 frs,; in 1910 it purchased for 25,000 frs. a large building contiguous with 

 the University for the better accommodation of certain scientific cabinets 

 and especially for the law seminary and its hbrary. Between 1831 and the 

 present date, more than 1,000,000 francs has been granted by the Monte 

 to this great and famous centre of study. An amount of more than 900,000 

 frs. has been up to to-day granted by it to other institutes of education and 

 learning, professional and popular schools, infant asylums, hbraries, scient- 

 ific academies etc 



The Monte has largely contributed to general works of benevolence and 

 hospitals: in the last eighty years it has granted 1,126,000 francs to institutes 

 for the deaf and dumb and the blind and to workmen's societies, for relief in 

 time of public calamity , and another 600,000 frs. has been granted by 

 it to the Pawn EstabHshment in subsidies and in contributions to its ordin- 

 ary working expenses. 



The art of the city has benefited very considerably by gifts from the 

 Institute, wluch has spent more than 400,000 frs. on the restoration and pre- 

 servation of our monuments ; and more than 157,000 frs. in prizes for build- 

 ings constructed. On the encouragement of agriculture, industry and com- 

 merce and on communications, it has spent up to date 239,000 frs. 



But it is the Commune of Siena that has most benefited by the profits 

 of the Monte de' Paschi; the latter up to the end of last year had paid over 

 2,237,000 frs. to its parent city ; and the spendid aqueduct would never 

 have been completed without the munificient contribution of the Monte, 



